Most of us are on a budget these days, and I’ve been very sad to hear that a lot of couples I know have had to cut back on date nights. My husband and I have certainly felt the strain on our pocketbooks as well. But lately we’ve rediscovered our date nights in the privacy of our own home thanks to easy pasta recipes, a cheap bottle of white wine and the blessed invention that is Netflix.

This has inspired me to compile a list of some classic and some unconventional date night movie picks. So grab your sweetie, peruse this list and head out to your local video store to secure your copy of an at-home date movie!

Unconventional Choices

I polled my blog readers on what types of movies they like to watch on date nights, and surprisingly, a lot of them answered that they tend to stay away from romantic comedies. Some even go so far as to choose an action flick instead.

Top Action Picks:

• The Bourne Trilogy
• Taken
• The Count of Monte Cristo

My readers supplied The Bourne Trilogy, and I must say I agree. Matt Damon running around as Jason Bourne is a great time. The mystery of who he is and questions of right and wrong are interesting to all viewers regardless of their sex.

I supplied Taken and The Count of Monte Cristo, as they are two of my personal favorites. Liam Neeson surprised us all as a butt-kicking hero in Taken, going literally to the ends of the earth to protect his daughter. The Count of Monte Cristo is a film that has it all: drama, betrayal, romance, justice, and features Jim Caviezel in one of his most compelling performances.

Sure, movies that involve sword fights and a roundhouse kick to the face are not generally classified as great date movies, but in my opinion, if you’re snuggled up with your special someone and you’re both enjoying a film, who cares if Meg Ryan isn’t on screen making you cry?

Romance Me

Speaking of Meg Ryan, I can’t write a date night piece without including one of her films, right?

Top Romantic Comedies

• You’ve Got Mail
• The Proposal
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
• The Holiday

I couldn’t agree more with my reader’s choices of romantic comedies. While I provided The Proposal and You’ve Got Mail, their choices of The Holiday and How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days include just the right amount of romance and solid humor.

You’ve Got Mail is one of my personal favorites because Tom Hanks is at his best: sarcastic, witty and altogether charming. And The Proposal pairs two comedy geniuses, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. What a pair!

So that’s just a partial list of some date night classics, as well as a few unconventional picks. What will be in your DVD player this weekend?

Photo courtesy of Onewed.com