What makes a great movie kiss?
In the cinematic world as in real life, chemistry is a must to achieve that perfect lip lock. However, in cinema a little bit of music, some filtered lighting and a good location can add to the perfect mood. Oh, and waves crashing over the sand or a thunderstorm raging about can definitely add to the passion.
There have been thousands of kisses throughout film history, in every genre. Movies kisses have shocked us, inspired us, moved us, made us laugh, made us cry. Which ones are the most memorable?
Sometimes film kisses have made history, challenging conventionality. Sometimes they have been so memorable the image has become an indelible part of our pop culture history. And there are even times they are the only memorable part of the film.
From Scarlett and Rhett (“Gone with the Wind”) to Han and Leia (“Star Wars”) to Rose and Jack (“Titanic”), here’s a look back at some of the most memorable smooches throughout film history. Tour our photo gallery of our choices for the 24 greatest, ranked worst to best.
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24. Wild Things (1998)
Image Credit: Mandalay Entertainment It’s likely that most people don’t remember the plot of this movie; however, who can forget the lesbian pool make-out scene between wrong-side-of-the-tracks Suzie (Neve Campbell) and spoiled billionaire’s daughter Kelly (Denise Richards)?
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23. Never Been Kissed (1999)
Image Credit: Suzanne Hanover/20th Century Fox First kisses are always awkward, but a 25-year-old on a baseball mound in front of all of her friends, hoping her romantic interest will show up to provide the other set of lips? AWKWARD! But nerd girls everywhere rejoice when Sam Coulson (Michael Vartan) shows up to give Josie Gellar (Drew Barrymore) the dream kiss.
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22. The Shining (1980)
Image Credit: Warner Bros They told him to stay out of Room 237, but he just couldn’t stay away. Johnny (Jack Nicholson) is drawn to the room, and to a beautiful woman who steps naked from a bath to slowly approach him, then seduce him with a passionate kiss. But when he opens his eyes, she has turned into an aging, sagging old hag. He should’ve heeded the warnings.
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21. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Image Credit: Universal Pictures Linda (Phoebe Cates) emerges from a pool and removes her red bikini top while moving slowly toward Brad (Judge Reinhold), then kissing him. Brad’s fantasy also became the fantasy of many a teenaged boy, and nearly forty years later, this is still parodied on film and television.
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20. Cruel Intentions (1999)
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures Spoiled, worldly Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) teaches young, naive Cecile (Selma Blair) how to kiss- using tongue, with a lovely string of saliva connecting them at the end. It’s no wonder they won Best Kiss at the MTV Movie Awards.
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19. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Image Credit: Paramount Is there anything more romantic than reunited lovers kissing in the rain? Not really, especially when it’s Audrey Hepburn in one of her signature roles as Holly Golightly, kissing George Peppard, with a very tolerant cat squished between them and strands of “Moon River” drifting around them.
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18. My Girl (1991)
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures At some point, we all wonder what “all the fuss is about.” Young friends Vada (Anna Chlumsky) and Thomas (Macaulay Culkin) decide to find out, by first practicing on their arms and then on each other. Culkin’s startled reaction is pure wonder and innocence.
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17. Moonlight (2017)
Image Credit: David Bornfriend Beautifully filmed, the tender beach scene between Chiron (Ashton Sanders) and teenage Kevin (Jharrel Jerome) captures the universal wonder of discovering one’s sexuality.
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16. The Sound of Music (1965)
Image Credit: Argyle Enterprises and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation The mature and strict Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and the young innocent Maria (Julie Andrews) remain one of the sweetest May-December film romances. Their first kiss in moonlit silhouette, both full of adoration and newly-declared love, is definitely “something good.”
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15. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Image Credit: Lucasfilm This sci-fi classic proved it wasn’t just for nerds as romantics love the playful banter between the stubborn spitfire Princess Leia and the scoundrel Han Solo. Their first kiss aboard the Millennium Falcon made “dirty hands” wonderfully romantic.
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14. From Here to Eternity (1953)
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures It seems tame now, but the steamy beach scene between Sgt. Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster) and the married (to another man!) Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr) challenged the Production Code at the time. Kerr is fully believable when she says she “has never been kissed like that,” and they prove you don’t have to show the actual lovemaking to heat up the screen.
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13. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Image Credit: Castle Rock/Nelson/Columbia There is no better stroke of midnight New Year’s Eve kiss than when Harry (Billy Crystal) tracks down Sally (Meg Ryan) to tell her he loves her, despite their 12-year love-hate relationship. One of the top “awwww” moments in film.
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12. An Officer and Gentleman (1982)
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures In a modern-day Cinderella scene, Zack (Richard Gere), in his Navy dress uniform, “rescues” Paula (Debra Winger) from her drab life by showing up at her factory job, kissing her passionately, and carrying her out into the world to tackle life together. “Way to go, Paula!” indeed.
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11. Casablanca (1942)
Image Credit: Warner Bros “Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time,” Isla (Ingrid Bergman) pleads with Rick (Humphrey Bogart). And he does.
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10. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Image Credit: Disney The classic tale of a well-bred lady falling for a streetwise tramp, their passion culminating over a nice Italian dinner, their mutual attraction coming out over. . . a bowl of spaghetti? The cutest kiss ever may be animated dogs locking lips over a spaghetti noodle.
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9. Dirty Dancing (1988)
Image Credit: Artisan Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection Awkward infatuated good girl Baby (Jennifer Grey) shows up in bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold Johnny’s (Patrick Swayze) room, leading to some extracurricular “dirty dancing.” Cliched, yes, but with this chemistry, it works.
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8. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Image Credit: Focus Features Forbidden love. Unrelenting passion. Fiery desire. It’s all there when Ennis (Heath Ledger) slams Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) against the wall for a reunion make-out session. Throw in the fact that Ennis’s wife Alma (Michelle Williams) catches them without their knowledge, and it’s full-blown passionate drama at its best.
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7. Spider-Man (2002)
Image Credit: Sony Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) as Spider-Man rescues his crush Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), culminating in a one-of-a-kind “upside down” kiss in the rain when she pulls down his Spidey mask just enough to give him a thank-you smooch.
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6. Ghost (1990)
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures Who wouldn’t want one last moment with a loved one taken away too soon? In one of the best cheesy scenes ever, Sam (Patrick Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) has us in tears when his ghost kisses her goodbye.
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5. Sixteen Candles (1984)
Image Credit: Universal Pictures/Kobal The worst birthday becomes the sweetest when Samantha (Molly Ringwald) wins the attention of her crush, hot upper classman Jake (Michael Schoeffling). Sitting crossed legged on a table, they lean over her birthday cake for a kiss. The beauty is in the simplicity.
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4. Gone with the Wind (1939)
Image Credit: MGM She’s a spoiled flirt. He’s a womanizing rascal. The verbal sparring between Rhett (Clark Gable) and Scarlett (Vivien Leigh) leads to an impassioned kiss, with a perfect silhouette and the screen afire.
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3. The Notebook (2004)
Image Credit: New Line Cinema Discovering he DID write to her, Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) finally lock lips in a passionate rain-soaked embrace.
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2. Titanic (1997)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Upper-class Rose (Kate Winslet) and drifter Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) share their first kiss on the bow of the doomed ocean liner, in an isolated moment between two young lovers on a boatful of people, surrounded by a massive ocean, wind blowing.
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1. Pretty Woman (1990)
Image Credit: Touchstone Pictures “No kissing. It’s too personal.” Prostitute Vivian (Julia Roberts) never kisses on the lips, so we know when she sits on the bed and tenderly kisses Edward (Richard Gere) on his lips that it is a signal to a change in their relationship. And when he wakes and gently returns the kiss, no words are needed, everything is revealed in the kisses.
