Love is never lost, nor is the chase. When momentum begins, you best begin with it, and so on. Through years of hardship, you may have lost your hope in finding love, but there is always someone out there waiting to be loved as well. Opening your heart may be on your mind, but perhaps you are unsure how to relay your feelings to the right person.
If that’s the case, check out these classic pick-up lines from movie history, ranging from the short and sweet, to the down and dirty, to the epic and swoon-worthy. We’ll be introducing them by putting you in perspective, and guiding you through the scene as if you’re the one experiencing the line.
10 American Pie (1999)
You’re at your friend’s party and things are winding down. You aimlessly walk through the house and find a door that says “Please Keep Out.” You, looking to surpass the boredom of your fleeing mind, walk downstairs to find not only a cougar but the cougar, Stifler’s Mom. The party hasn’t stopped after all. With a cigarette in hand, she asks you, “Are ya lost?” Thinking of ways to woo her, you speak in terms of philosophy.
The scotch is pouring, the smoke is in the air, and you, Finch, have no idea where this fine wine will lead you, but you trust it anyway. The pool table becomes the backboard of an affair that is more tempting than a drink at the last call. Leading you to dimensions of romance that not even the poet in you could have reached, you give into the temptation of the hottest mom you have ever seen, and the rest is American Pie history.
9 Hitch (2005)
It’s a long week after work and the dirty Grey Goose martini you ordered just isn’t cutting it. Somewhere in your mind you know you need more to make life interesting. A man appears by your side and introduces himself in the most unorthodox way you’ve ever heard. It hasn’t quite hit you yet that this man could very well be the one. His assertive honesty and tantalizing confidence take you by surprise. He carefully plans your dates to follow, like Ellis Island, so you can read the history of your great-grandparents. He really knows what he’s doing; after all, he is a date doctor.
Things don’t go as smoothly as they could throughout your romance. You become unsure of where the relationship could lead, as your confident nature is just as strong as his. You haven’t given up yet, but your friend asks you to join her in speed dating. To your surprise, this man shows up, again, for you. He takes a seat across from your rigid demeanor and says, “I like you.” Your walls fall down and a warm vulnerability envelops your heart. You don’t go home together that night, but you finally begin to realize his intentions are pure, and the relationship is worth it. You both take the leap toward love and tie the knot … Thank God he didn’t give up in Hitch.
8 P.S. I Love You (2007)
Among the most beautiful greenery you have ever seen, you can’t help but think back to the one person who left without notice. The one person who was supposed to stay forever, and they didn’t. Your mind wanders back to a moment in time you wish you could relive every day. But you can’t. Your husband was taken by a brain tumor, and you had no other choice but to move forward. Not that you wanted to, not that you were looking to, but the notes he left you before he went hint at a new beginning — and you can’t help but follow his lead. After all, you trust him the most.
But It’s one of the last days you unknowingly have with him. The two of you head back to your small apartment and argue about having kids. Knowing he was in the wrong by telling your mother that, “Holly doesn’t want to have a baby,” he holds you close and says, “I know what I want, because I have it in my hands right now. You.” Days go by and the children never come. There wasn’t enough time, but the absence of his presence is always there in P.S. I Love You. You continue forward with him in your heart, and you wouldn’t have had it any other way.
7 The Notebook (2004)
It’s summer in the country. Swans are swimming and the smell of pancakes radiate through the warm air. You and your friends go to the local carnival. Your best friend’s boyfriend asks his pal to tag along. Unknowingly, this is going to change the entire course of your life. Somehow you end up on the Ferris wheel with this gentlemen.
Antics arise and he swoons you into going on a date with him. You dance in the middle of the street and hand in hand, you rest your head on his shoulder. Nobody else exists. You spend the summer in the arms of another. Making new memories, you never thought it would end. But in The Notebook, it did.
Though you find love elsewhere, nothing is the same as it was. Years later, he builds the dream home that you two spoke about. You find his picture in the newspaper and faint, literally. Needing to get to the bottom of your heart’s desire, you venture to the home he built for you to come back to. He knew you would. You spend days in a love affair that never ended. Taking you to the river, rain starts to pour. You dock the boat and run into his arms, he insistently says, “I want you. I want all of you. Forever. You and me. Every day.” The best kiss of your life happens, and you soon marry this man. And just like that, with a full family, you’ve lived the fairytale you never expected could ever be real.
6 Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
You’ve spent the last few years drugging through law school. You found a mate, but the allure of life hasn’t soared through your veins. Your best friend takes you out after studying just to tell you that your life is PG13. Dressed to the nines, you both chat about your love fantasies, and to her surprise, you’ve chosen an aloof comedian with orange hair, Conan O’Brien, as your celebrity crush and end-all-be-all.
In mid-conversation, a stallion appears over your shoulder asking, “Who looks like a carrot?” Sarcasm meets sarcasm, and you choose to go home with him, as he planned. “Time of Your Life” from Dirty Dancing begins to play, and you fly through the air into his arms. Nobody else exists in this iconic moment. It was that simple in Crazy, Stupid, Love.
5 Titanic (1997)
Uncured, you don’t have much to say. Or, maybe it was the way she struck you. It’s the early 1900s, and the most technologically advanced ship is crossing the North Atlantic. You win a ticket to board The Titanic. Unaware of how much money, old that is, is boarding along with you, you happily make your entrance. You’re no first class, but you make it work. One night when no one is around, you find a young woman attempting to jump. You rescue her and begin what we know as one of the greatest love stories.
Things get steamy, they get scary, and even worse. The ship hit an iceberg and what you assumed your fate was, is no longer. Knowing you have to save her again, you give this woman your hand as she rests upon a wooden bureau in the coldest waters known to man.
You take your last breath to tell her how much you love her saying, “Listen, Rose. You’re gonna get out of here, you’re gonna go on and make lots of babies, and you’re gonna watch them grow. You’re gonna die an old… an old lady warm in her bed, but not here, not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?” Not wanting to let go, you do. Though she survives as you had hoped, the heart of the sea went down with the ship. You’re no longer there, yet, you are.
4 Wedding Crashers (2005)
It’s wedding season and the long-standing tradition between you and your best friend continues — you’re Wedding Crashers. Nothing stands in the way of copious amounts of pretty women, free drinks, and endless dancing. Nothing until you’ve fallen for the woman you told yourself you’d never fall for amidst the funnest time of your life. Her beauty glows in both the moon and sunlight. You, funny yet cheesy, still steal her heart despite her planning to wed someone else. Though you fooled her once, you won’t fool her twice.
After days of loneliness without you, she decides to follow the whispering wind as you sweep through the church doors of your best friend’s wedding, who is also marrying her younger sister. Standing face to face in the middle of the aisle you tell her, “I’m not standing here asking you to marry me. I’m just asking you not to marry him. And maybe take a walk, take a chance.” Leaning forward in faith, she chooses you. With plans to crash another wedding, but this time together, the two of you drive off into the sunset with your best friend and sister. Nothing could be better than this.
3 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (2004)
In Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, you’re one of the smartest super spies in the world. British, of course. Humor is your strong point and you fellow the ladies with your jokes. An evil master tries to go back in time to steal your mojo. After all, you do get all the women. Though your comical nature sets you apart from others, it’s what you wear best. Pulling all stops to end the warfare between you, this evil master, and his little friend, you can’t help but enjoy yourself.
Upon a date with a fine lady agent, you tell her, “Let’s hop on the good foot and do the bad thing.” At the time, nothing arises from such effort, but you don’t mind, you have a rotating bed full of women back at home. Though she brushes off your affection to focus on the plan to destroy evil, your shagability stays. The world is at peace, and you still have your mojo. Everything is all good in the name of love and war.
2 No Strings Attached (2011)
Many women dream of having a lifelong friend they can confide in, but they also know that lines can be blurred if interest between the two takes flight. Though you keep yourself busy as a doctor, time begins to feel empty after that first time you crossed those same blurry lines. You both agreed to keep it physical, but inevitable feelings arise in No Strings Attached.
It’s Valentine’s Day and you have the night together. You, cute and confident, make him a card. It reads, “You give me premature ventricular contractions.” In other terms, he makes your heart skip a beat. The two of you had some rough patches, but the end involves you both in it. Oh, how sweet.
1 Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
You’ve paid your dues and had your family. Got the divorce and did well in your settlement. Now, Something’s Gotta Give. Your youngest daughter is dating a man older than you and your grip on the book you’re writing is slowly slipping. A young doctor who loves your published work asks you on a date, and you choose yourself for what feels like the first time in forever. Not even the tightest turtleneck could hide your beating heart. However, your mind keeps going back to the older man who not only left your daughter, but showed true interest in you as a person.
Upon a trip to Paris with your younger boyfriend, this man shows up to win you over. Your boyfriend sees how much this man loves you, and he sets you free to be with him. This man, Harry Sanborn, who you not only nursed back to life, but made way for more of it, meets you on a snowy Paris bridge and pours himself out to you saying, “Turns out the heart attack was easy to get over, you were something else. I finally get what it’s all about. I’m 63 years old, and I’m in love for the first time in my life.” You, surprised by audacity, fellowship his appeal. If there was ever a way to redefine love later in life, it was surely in this manner.
Though we could go on and on about the best pickup lines from movies likeScarface, Casablanca, As Good As It Gets, or When Harry Met Sally, there are just some that had to make the cut over others. Ranging from cheesy to complete seriousness, the lines used to gain a relationship go to no end, as men and women of all types show their true nature through how they ask you out.
So next time you’re out with your friends, buckle up, because anything goes these days, even if you show no interest at all. But on the occasion that you are interested, don’t be afraid to go for it without hesitation. You’ll take yourself by surprise and inevitably end up in love with someone, even if it’s just yourself.
