So it’s Valentine’s Day today, and while some of you may bemoan it, scheduling your “protest” parties full of comfort food and Anne Hathaway movies, or simply finding solace in life’s simpler comforts, a lucky few of us will spend it with that special someone, and thus the debate begins: what to do on this most sacred of romantic occasions?

Some may opt for the formal route, going to a performance somewhere decidedly not of the Neumo’s, Vera, or Showbox variety. In the same vein, some may opt to celebrate over dinner, preferably somewhere beyond the typical collegiate price-range (unfortunately for the men of Seattle U, the relieving-ly affordable Caffe Presse is no longer a secret, and women are no longer impressed when you cunningly opt for a table in the oozingly-romantic back room, so it’s off to the Pink Door with you- Canlis if you really mean business).

Others will decide that despite their relationship status, they are above the conventions of St. Valentine’s Day, an enlightenment that they will surely be happy to explain to you in a discussion that will most likely involve the terms “Hallmark-holiday,” “corporate” or “patriarchy.” Following this they will most likely fold up the pant-leg of their Levi’s, don their artfully ironic Member’s Only jacket, and triumphantly pedal their trusty fixie off into the sunset- but this is beside the point.

Lastly, there are the mellower romantics- the ones who will opt to stay in, order some take-out, maybe pop a bottle of wine (as long as you’re 21, of course, because otherwise that would just be wrong) and maybe put on a movie- something cute and romantic, one that your boyfriend probably wouldn’t consent to 364 days of the year- cause hey, it’s Valentine’s!

But the quest for an agreeable feature needn’t be a vexing one for those lovebirds seeking cinematic relaxation for their Valentine’s Day; indeed, contrary to popular belief, there are some romantic comedies which men will not only watch, but enjoy- and just maybe express some emotion over, or even shed a tear whilst viewing (that is, if we could cry, which we can’t). Below is a list of some such films- the best that I know- that hold the rare distinction of being agreeable to everyone, and just maybe the salvation of your Valentine’s Day.

About a Boy

Hugh Grant is a name that sparks a lot of disdain in the male community, and with good reason. The bulk of his work has been the exact type of films that this list is intended to help you avoid- the sappy, poorly-written  British imports that we dread. Indeed, if I hadn’t been home sick one day back in high school and stumbled across the VHS that my brother had borrowed from the library, I’d probably think the same of About a Boy; but fortunately for my boredom and the purposes of this list, there was nothing else I hadn’t watched, and I hadn’t yet thrown away my video-cassette player. Thus, I discovered one of the better romantic comedies of the decade, and it was well worth the gamble. About a Boy is not only hilarious, it’s just the right amount of touching, and though the accents are thick and British, the message is universal.

High Fidelity

Everyone likes this movie, because there’s something in it for everyone. Aside from giving us the brilliance of top-five lists and introducing us to the Beta Band, High Fidelity looks at love the way we all do; through its harshest milestones. Following the story of John Cusack’s self-loathing self-reflection after being dumped by the most recent woman of his dreams, the movie chronicles the five greatest breakups of his mediocre life, starting with the girl he practiced kissing with as a pre-teen and working its way through high school, college, and into the real world of a 30-something coming to terms with the truths and pleasures of his lackluster existence. While this description may paint High Fidelity as more depressing than deep, the movie actually has a sweet and happy ending (although I won’t give it away here). A fun watch with a great soundtrack and just the right amount of Jack Black, everyone can enjoy this classic for our generation.

Love Actually

Surprisingly (well, not too surprisingly), this one didn’t make it to any of the other top romances that Google provide me when brainstorming for this list. It’s saccharine, it’s sappy, and it’s a Christmas movie, but romantic comedies aren’t really supposed to be great cinema- rather a humorous popcorn-film to remind us of the optimism and lightheartedness in romance, while keeping us amused and entertained. Love Actually has a humor and a cuteness to it that works year-round, and whether they’ll admit it or not, every guy keeps it on his personal list of surprisingly acceptable romantic comedies. Balancing the likes of Colin Firth and Hugh Grant of rom-com fame with actors like Rowan Atkinson and Liam Neeson (I mean, the man played Michael Collins, that’s a pretty solid level of badass, guys), Love Actually is always a winner.

Amélie

For those who haven’t seen it, I’ll get this out of the way: Amélie is a French film, and a pretty French one at that. While this may be a hard sell if you man is of proud Amer’can descent, anyone who has watched the movie will agree that Amélie is a delight. It has a unique plot that avoids the predictable structure of most romances, while the menagerie of original characters and quirky style of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (seriously, how much more French could that name be) are sure to entertain. Set to an original score by Yann Tiersen and driven by a message that reaffirms life as well as love, Amélie is a movie that will hook anyone who watches it.

The 40 Year Old Virgin

This is admittedly an easy one for the list, which any member of the male gender (myself included) who watched it, bought it, and thought it was just another Seth Rogan movie full of wholesome, middle-brow sex jokes for five years until someone in the Spectator office suggested it for his blog about Rom-Coms will understand- but as it turns out, The 40 Year Old Virgin is actually a romantic comedy.

So unless you’re a particularly late-blooming member of the Freshman class who has yet to discover the Asher Roth side of college, and the subject of virginity is still an awkward one between you and your beau, then this is actually a solid option for that “quiet night in” at the Campion Fishbowl. Guys think it’s funny because it’s chock-full of comedy classics like marijuana and masturbation, and women seem to like it because of love or something, so go ahead and lean back that Barca-Lounger and pop it in (to the DVD player).

When Harry Met Sally

As children of the 90s, we’ve only been around long enough to witness the premier of what feels like the worst decade in movie history, with the 2000s giving us cinema that seems to be the film industry’s cruel version of what the recording industry’s been doing to popular music for the bulk of our lifetimes . As a result, a classic 80s gem doesn’t usually pop to mind amidst the images of Matthew Mcconaughey filled swill when our generation hears the term “romantic comedy.”

But although it’ll involve you having to get over the painful realization that it was probably the movie your parents saw on their third date in 1989 (persons in the 19-20 year old age group especially, do your best to block out the mathematics that this fact will trigger), When Harry Met Sally is a true classic built on quality humor and the kind of plot that’s realistic enough to be heartwarming (for both genders).

And hey, it’s one of the three good movies (along with This Is Spinal Tap and the Princess Bride) that Rob Reiner managed to give us before he got fat and dedicated the remainder of his dwindling career to  berating smokers , so we’d might as well savor it.

The Girl Next Door

I was hesitant to include this one at first, due to the fact that at first glance, The Girl Next Door is about as high of a high-school movie as anything out there. But while the film’s message of love, sex, and awkwardly growing into both is something we’d probably like to stay in high school where we left it, there’s a time and a place to get nostalgic and reflect on those years through the movies that 17-year-old us thought would define us for life. So while your particular coming-of-age tale may not share the pornographic and entrepreneurial features experienced by Emile Hirsch’s character, The Girl Next Door is that special kind of high-school movie that we can still come back to and enjoy, if only for the reassurance of knowing that we’re in college now, and we’ve moved beyond the falsities of high-school romance to a truer kind love that’s real and mature… right?

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

So as you’ve probably gathered by now, a lot of the films on this list are more of the “comedy” vein than the “romantic,” in that the trick to finding a movie that balances what you might want for the purposes of snuggling and cuddling (which are actually quite distinct activities, as a friend once explained to me) is going to have to make some serious concessions to the funny and raunchy that your partner is likely pulling for. Fortunately, the two are far from mutually exclusive, as anyone who has ever made an ass of themselves in the pursuit of love and then laughed about it down the road will quickly tell you (unless they’re still whining about it, in which case that person will be spending their Valentine’s movie night watching Apocalypse Now and finding the tragic romantic overtones behind the film’s message, and sharing it with the receptive and agreeing audiences of themselves and a pack of Marlboro 27s). Thus, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which is admittedly a comedy above all else, is perfect for that balance of the cute and the comedic. A long-time staple of everybody’s post-breakup movie list, it’s entertaining on any occasion, and if you can handle some gratuitous displays of Jason Segal’s penis, the unrated DVD version is filled with even more of the humor, truth, and ultimately heartwarming moments that we can all enjoy, regardless of whether our post-breakup misery has ever lead us on a cathartic trip to Hawaii.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Ok, this one’s kind of a cop-out too, seeing how either this or Roman Holiday is on just about everyone’s list of greatest romances (usually it’s Roman Holiday, but the end scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a classic, and not only does everyone know and love it as one of the greatest love scenes of movie history, but regardless of whether they’ll admit it, guys all feel for (and at some point in their life will feel like) Paul Varjak (although for their sake, this hopefully took place at some point between the advent of pubescence and their senior prom, because nobody wants to be like that guy in (500) Days of Summer once they’re out in the real world- there’s a reason that introspective pity-party didn’t make this list).

Broadcast News

No, you haven’t heard of it, but seeing how I haven’t even heard of half the movies that “Rotten Tomatoes” deemed worthy of ranking among their Top 25 Romantic Comedies (if the fact that Amelie is proudly ranked on this list didn’t give it away, I’m more of the bougie foreign film-watching type myself). Part of it may be a personal bias towards movies about journalism (I mean, come on, how many romantic comedies do we get about the gritty, loveless field that is the press? None, that’s how many.), and the film may be the longest comedy you’ve ever seen (although it’s not like you’re really averse to long movies on a date, now is it?), but it’s a classic (just ask your parents, they probably had it on VHS or Laserdisk or something around the time that When Harry Met Sally was coming out). Plus, with William Hurt (back when he was a heartthrob) for the ladies and Albert Brooks for those charmingly geeky, perpetual-third-wheel guys out there (by which I mean pretty much all of us, we think- and you know we’re charming, don’t deny it) it’s a sure winner.

Note: For those of you who think that The Wedding Singer should be on this, don’t even try; Adam Sandler was never funny, and he never will be- you just thought he was when you were 7 and you got away with watching Billy Madison on cable when your parents weren’t paying attention. (Except for Opera Man, and even that was a stretch).