You know, those long-awaited smooches that finally happen or the kisses that make you
weak in the knees, thanks to the actors' insane chemistry? Well, with romance in mind and
desire in our hearts, we dug through film history to find the most satisfying kisses
to grace the silver screen.
When it comes to romantic films, few are more intense than Baz Luhrmann's 1996 adaptation
of Romeo + Juliet. Much of that is thanks to the insane chemistry between Claire Danes
and Leonardo DiCaprio as the title characters, which was on full display during their famous
elevator kiss. That was just the first they'd share in the film, too, and it took around
23 takes before they got it just right. As Danes told Entertainment Weekly:
"The amount of kisses that are in this movie is astonishing. I'm getting kind of used to
it."
Can you really get used to kissing Leo, though?
When it came to the sensual scenes in the film, however, DiCaprio said that Danes was
quite modest. Danes did accidentally break off part of the elevator, however, and the
two even bonked heads once while filming the super satisfying smooch. Sounds like it was
fun on set!
When Amy Heckerling's Clueless dropped in 1995, starring Alicia Silverstone as the funny
and likable Cher Horowitz, both our lingo and our fashion were forever changed for the
better.
"Ugh, as if!”
And when Cher finally locked lips with Paul Rudd's Josh, fans of the film were absolutely
delighted. It was oh-so-satisfying, as the two finally figured out that they were totally
in love, despite being near-polar opposites.
Some folks had their feathers ruffled by the famous smooch, however, according to assistant
director Danny Silverberg, who said the crew worried over whether characters were related.
To be clear, the characters are not biologically related, so we were all totally into it.
Apparently Rudd was as well, as, in spite of his nerves, he said he was actually pretty,
quote, "psyched" about sharing a tender kiss with Silverstone. Cher and Josh's kiss is
— hands down — one of the best moments in Clueless.
Katniss Everdeen shared a lot of smooches with two different fellows throughout the
Hunger Games franchise, but her most satisfying kiss is the one she shared with Peeta Mellark
on the beach in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The scenery was gorgeous, the music
sweeping, and the kiss itself was both passionate and tender in the 2013 film. That's when viewers
knew for sure that Katniss truly loved Peeta and that she really does need him.
The chemistry between the actors who played these characters, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh
Hutcherson, wasn't lost on them, either, as Lawrence told CNN that they were, quote, "great
together." That's a good thing, given how many times they had to pucker up throughout
the four films in the franchise.
What's super sweet is that Lawrence called Hutcherson her, quote, "first real big kiss
in a movie," though Hutcherson himself said that she wasn't exactly gentle, explaining:
"It was a little abrasive, if I'm being honest. A little shocking."
Knowing how J-Law is, we can't say we're all that surprised.
In the '80s, film director John Hughes reigned supreme as the brains behind The Breakfast
Club, Pretty in Pink, and of course, Sixteen Candles. And of all the kisses in all of Hughes'
film, our favorite kiss is from that last one, which also happens to be his 1984 directorial
debut.
The reason the smooch at the end of Sixteen Candles is so satisfying is threefold: Samantha
and Jake are totally gorgeous, they're finally together, and they're lit up softly by candles
on a birthday cake. Talk about a totally romantic finale! We'd been waiting the entire movie
for that first kiss, and it was well worth all the anticipation, making it one of the
most epic first kisses in teen movies.
What's totally wild about that kiss is that the role of Jake was almost given to Viggo
Mortensen, who read for the role with star Molly Ringwald. Ringwald later recalled that
she kissed Mortensen in the audition and that he made her, quote, "weak in the knees."
While some may question why Twilight is included on a list of the most satisfying kisses in
movie history, consider the legions of Twihards who patiently waited to see Bella Swan and
Edward Cullen's first kiss on screen. And while the films do deviate a bit from the
books, the production team did their best to be as loyal as possible to the source material.
While those are both good reasons to give Bella and Edward's first smooch the nod of
approval, it was the undeniable chemistry between actors Kristen Stewart and Robert
Pattinson that truly sealed the deal. After all, the pair were literally falling in love
on set, and fans couldn't have been happier about it. So it's no surprise that the pair
won Best Kiss at the MTV Movie Awards for the famous smooch.
As Kristen Stewart tells it, falling in love with Pattinson was all but inevitable, telling
Howard Stern, quote, "There was nothing I could do." Of course, they're no longer together,
but it all made the film more magical.
In 2008, audiences were absolutely delighted by director Danny Boyle's sleeper hit Slumdog
Millionaire. The film followed orphan Jamal Malik as he grew up, found his destiny when
he won Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and finally, kissed the enduring love of his life
for all the world to see. The film won eight Academy Awards, and had everyone practicing
their Bollywood dancing at home.
That incredibly satisfying kiss, shared by actors Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, spared
nothing when it came to theatrics. The sequence required two trains to arrive simultaneously
and featured thousands of extras suddenly breaking into dance. It really was quite a
feat! While that wasn't Patel's first on-screen kiss, it was certainly one for the history
books.
If there's one kiss that's at the top of everyone's most satisfying smooch in film history list,
it's Jack and Rose's epic first kiss in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic. The big moment happens
when the couple are "flying" together on the bow of the ship, bathed in a sunset with the
ocean in the background. It's an incredibly romantic moment in one of the most incredibly
romantic movies in recent memory.
Ironically enough, as Kate Winslet tells it, she and Leonardo DiCaprio were actually quite
over it by the time they finished shooting the scene for the fourth time.
Sorry to burst your bubble, fans!
When director Ang Lee brought Brokeback Mountain to the silver screen in 2005, it was groundbreaking,
thanks to two A-list actors portraying a same-sex couple. While that wasn't exactly forbidden
in film at the time, seeing Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger go all in for their on-screen
romance was certainly edgy and daring at the time.
The two actors didn't disappoint when it came to their intimate scenes in Brokeback Mountain,
as both Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar were complex, nuanced characters with super expressive
body language. That's what makes their passionate kiss by the side of Ennis' house so totally
satisfying. Finally, after all the time they spent apart, they were reunited — and totally
in love, in spite of themselves.
Ledger and Gyllenhaal communicated extensively throughout filming in order to ensure that
they did justice to Jack and Ennis' romantic relationship. Gyllenhaal later described their
work together as agreeing to dive into the deep end of the characters together. Clearly,
that approach worked.
According to the 1987 cult classic The Princess Bride, there have been five kisses throughout
history that are equal parts passionate and pure. And of them all, it's the super satisfying
kiss that Westley and Buttercup share at the end of the film that holds the esteemed number
one spot over the others. We're inclined to agree, thanks to the intent expressions on
Cary Elwes and Robin Wright's faces as they go in for the big smooch. Finally, the clever,
gallant hero and his beautiful bride can be together. Oh, and don't forget the horse!
For as much as viewers loved the final kiss in the beloved film, it appears that Elwes
and Wright couldn't get enough of it either; Elwes opened up about it in his book As You
Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride.
"When it came for this particular kissing scene, Robin and I kept asking for more takes.
I think we were actually so giddy we were giggling like a couple of schoolgirls."
That was also the last scene they shot in the entire movie, which is just perfection.
Some movies just don't age all that well. However, when it comes to 1987's Dirty Dancing,
it's aged like a fine wine, thanks to its progressive writing, excellent direction,
and the insane chemistry between Jennifer Grey's Baby Houseman and Patrick Swayze's
Johnny Castle.
That palpable chemistry was on full display throughout the film, but it really heats up
during the pair's satisfying first kiss. After spending much of the film developing feelings
for each other, Baby and Johnny share a steamy smooch — after Baby fully investigates Johnny's
bare torso.
While you may be tempted to think Grey and Swayze had it going on off-camera, Grey didn't
exactly sound enthusiastic when discussing her relationship with the late actor in 2015
in an interview with Glamour. As she recalled:
"I didn't think we had chemistry. It's a weird thing, though. It doesn't have to do with
whether you like someone or not. It's just you either have it or you don't."
And as we all could see, they did.
The 2016 film Moonlight is already regarded as one of the best movies of the 21st century.
Directed by Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning film depicts the life of its main character,
Chiron , in his youth, adolescence, and adulthood.
It's during the second segment of Moonlight that viewers are treated to an intense and
satisfying kiss, courtesy of actors Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome. Sanders does a
masterful job showing both his hesitation and desire in the scene, which takes place
on a beach in Miami. Of course, more happens than just a kiss, but it's the amazing chemistry
between Jerome and Sanders that makes the scene so perfect.
In a move shocking absolutely no one, the two actors won the award for Best Kiss at
the MTV Movie Awards the following year, which Sanders said was about, quote, "more than
a kiss." Given that two Black men snagged the honor for sharing a queer kiss, he's absolutely
right.
When it comes to movie kisses that defied gravity and delighted audiences, the first
one that pops to mind is the satisfying smooch that Spider-Man and Mary Jane share in the
2002 film Spider-Man. Starring Tobey Maguire in the titular role and Kirsten Dunst as his
love interest, the film's big kiss takes place in the pouring rain, as Mary Jane removes
part of Spider-Man's mask and kisses him — while he's literally upside-down.
While the famous kiss easily went down as one of the most satisfying in film history,
Dunst has said she was surprised by all the attention that epic kiss received.
"I never expected it to be one of those things. You never know when you're making something."
"But it really has become iconic!"
"Yeah!"
It still is, all these years later, too. Will anyone ever top this singular smooch?
Hopeless romantics everywhere got a treat in 2004 when The Notebook debuted in theaters.
The Nicholas Sparks film starred Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as Noah and Allie, respectively,
two lovers with very different backgrounds. Because of that, they are prevented from being
together for a good chunk of the film. But that doesn't stop them from stealing an incredibly
satisfying kiss after being apart, replete with pouring rain and ample tears.
As Gosling tells it, there was no question that McAdams should play Allie in The Notebook,
calling their chemistry, quote, "immediate." It's no surprise, then, that McAdams and Gosling
went on to date for a couple of years. They even recreated their famous smooch at the
MTV Awards after receiving the award for Best Kiss — and clearly were happy to do so.
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