In a video store, love is always in the air- or at least on the shelves. Even if one were to wander from the new release section, they would still find an abundance of movies that are based on the idea of love.

Hollywood has taught me a great deal about love. Some lessons proved to be true, others false, and most of them adapted from novels.

From a young age I realized that taking a course on love wouldn?t be easy. The text included, for starters, every single videocassette cover with a beautiful woman in a man?s passionate embrace.

Eventually, I found myself unable to come to grips with the meaning behind my studies. Is it possible that love on film is not the same as love in the real world?

After years of studying the topic there is only one distinct lesson the cinema has taught me about love: sometimes love is good, and sometimes love is bad. It is hopeless trying to learn any more on the matter. The only thing left to do is to stuff my favorite texts (listed below) into my backpack and walk out of class. Now, where?s the door?

An Affair to Remember (1957)

On a cruise ship destined for America, a world-renowned playboy shares a romance with a soon to be wife of a New York aristocrat. The banter between stars Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr is smart, funny, and often heartbreaking.

Say Anything? (1989)

This charming comedy stars John Cusak as a sensitiveromantic idealist who falls for the high school valedictorian, played by Ione Sky. Cameron Crowe?s directorial debut still stands as one of the most intelligent movies aimed at teens.

So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)

Before “Austin Powers,” Mike Myers starred in this hilarious movie about a San Francisco poet who fears commitment to women. This is not only my favorite romantic comedy, but also flat out my favorite movie of all time.

The Merry Widow (1934)

The oldest film on the list may be on the brink of video store extinction, but it is far superior when compared to films like “Moulin Rouge.” Ernst Lubitch’s funniest movie is also a musical, featuring a few blissful numbers that pay tribute to free spirited love.

Letter From an Unknown Woman (1948)

An accomplished pianist reads a letter from a woman who has loved him ever since she was a little girl. The letter accounts meetings between the two, but he can hardly remember her. The film has moments of bitter sweetness, that just turn bitter.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

Poetry from snowflakes. Robert Altman’s 1971 film, starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, is about the love that blossoms between two western pioneers. “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” is the most melancholy I have ever seen.

Wuthering Heights (1939)

Laurence Olivier shines as Heathcliff, a servant who forms a deep love with a high-society girl, in this adaptation of the classic Emily Bronte novel. This film, more theatrical than the rest, is also filled with the most hatred.

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

A gardener, and a neglected middle class widow fall in love, but their love is tested when society taboos threaten to ruin their honest love. Douglas Sirk?sessential American Melo-Drama made me cry long before it was over.