As the humidity settles and summer classes begin, so do the summer flings. But if you’re anything like me, you want to try and make any relationship you get involved in this summer last longer than just the few months we have in between fall and spring semesters. Whether we like to believe it or not, Hollywood can play a major role in the way we approach our relationships in real life both positively and negatively. They can serve as a guide to fix what may have been broken or as an example of what not to do.
Here are three important lessons in love from summer movies: “Grease,” “Going the Distance” and “Letters to Juliet.”
“Grease”: Be with someone who loves you for you
College may be about finding yourself, but you shouldn’t have to change the person you are to make someone else happy. Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) are a perfect example of what not to do. When these two realize their summer fling may not be over, the high school stereotypes we love to hate make it seemingly impossible for them to be together. Both end up changing the way they looked and behaved just to get the other person’s friends’ approval. Danny tried turning into the jock Sandy dreamed of and epically failed. Meanwhile, Sandy changed her wardrobe, hair and makeup, and it worked. Be with someone who loves you for who you are. It may sound cliché, but four years of college will go by fast. You shouldn’t waste the time you have being someone you’re not.
“Going the Distance”: Long distance doesn’t always fail
Whether you’re both first-years heading to different universities or a college junior saying goodbye as your boyfriend or girlfriend leaves undergrad, long distance relationships are quite common in college students. Now this may not have exactly been a summer movie, but Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garrett (Justin Long) show us that long distance relationships are not always doomed from the start. It might not be easy (Erin and Garrett took a six-month break in the movie.), but it’s not impossible.
“Letters to Juliet”: Take chances
Love is timeless. When Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) finds Claire’s (Vanessa Redgrave) “Letter to Juliet” that had gone unanswered for more than 50 years, she convinces the now older woman to make one last effort to try to find the man she lost. The women and Claire’s grandson Charlie (Chris Egan) set out on an unlikely search for Claire’s ex-flame. Although there many obstacles arose, Claire and her long-lost love were reunited, and it’s all because she took a chance. Don’t immediately write someone off just because there isn’t a spark right away or if you’ve heard about their past. Take risks. You may be surprised at the outcome.
Although the three movies I’ve chosen this week are not necessarily the most popular romance flicks, I think the messages they send are relative to any romantic relationship college students may encounter. We’re here for four years; this is the time to make mistakes and learn from them.
