Top 20 Best Friends Who Fall in Love in Movies

As always, Kevin Smith gives us a story of romance blooming in the most unlikely of places. The writer and director offers his signature blend of gross-out laughs and heartwarming moments in this sex comedy about the two titular roommates. Played by Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks respectively, they decide to make pornographic movies in order to pay the bills. While Zack and Miri try to keep things platonic, they eventually start falling for each other in between takes, which obviously becomes complicated, given their chosen profession. Don’t be fooled by the title; this one’s a corny romance through and through.

You can run all you want Forrest, but you can’t outrun love. Robert Zemeckis’ epic and crowd-pleasing film spans several decades and portrays many important historical events, but at the heart of the story is the unconditional love Forrest has for his childhood friend, Jenny. It takes Jenny a while to reciprocate those feelings, but thanks to Forrest’s relentlessly positive attitude, she eventually sees that she loves him too. While their reunion and marriage is painfully brief and tinged with tragedy, it’s still just as sweet as a box o’ chocolates.

Consider yourselves warned, this one is a tearjerker. “One Day”, based on the book of the same name, follows two friends, Emma and Dexter, giving us a glimpse into their lives on the same day every year: July 15th. It’s a unique concept that lets us watch their relationship unfold in little snippets, as their bond becomes more and more complicated over the years. They each go through many ups and downs, both individually and together, but their relationship always seems to be at the forefront of their lives. You may need to grab the tissues for the ending though, so be prepared.

Bianca and Wesley were neighbors and good friends growing up, but by the time they reach high school he has become a popular jock and she is the group’s DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend), who people use to get into the cool crowd. Though the two had grown apart, they find themselves becoming close again, despite the fact that he’s dating one of the school’s mean girls, on and off. Wesley and Bianca end up sharing a kiss but both act like it didn’t mean anything, even though it clearly does. By the end of the movie he’s showing his feelings for her in front of the entire school, cruel labels be damned!

Who would have thought that one of the best stories of friends becoming lovers is from one of our favorite Disney movies? Simba and Nala are besties as kids, roaming around Pride Rock and getting into trouble by tormenting Zazu. Though they’re separated for a decent amount of time after Simba flees following his father’s murder, when they come back together, it’s like no time has passed. In the end they’re destined to rule over the Pride Lands together, with Simba naming Nala as his queen, and the entire story coming full circle when their cub is revealed to the world.

Underneath all that flannel is plenty of heart. In Ben Stiller’s directorial debut, Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke play two disenfranchised Gen X-ers who find comfort in the fact that they both have uncertain futures. They’re clearly attracted to each other, but Troy’s aimlessness conflicts with Lelaina’s ambitions of becoming a documentary filmmaker. Then there’s the fact that Lelaina is already dating a TV executive. A quintessential nineties soundtrack serves as the background music as Lelaina and Troy slowly realize that they belong together- at least for the time being.

Romance may not be the focus of this quirky film, but it still holds an unconventional love story. After a brief dalliance with her friend Paulie, the precocious and now very pregnant Juno brushes off the notion that the two are dating, despite the fact that Paulie is the father of her unborn child. However, as the plot progresses Juno realizes that besides her parents, Paulie is the one person who has constantly supported her. So she decides to confess her feelings like any normal sixteen year old would; by stuffing Paulie’s mailbox full of orange Tic Tacs. We’ll take that over a love letter any day.

More like “Definitely, Eventually”! In a twist on the typical rom-com formula, this film plays out as a mystery. Recent divorcee Will (played by Ryan Reynolds) tells his daughter Maya the story of the three women he’s been with over the years, leaving clues as to which one eventually became the girl’s mother. However, thanks to his daughter, Will realizes that his true love isn’t his ex-wife, but his friend and one-time co-worker, April. While it takes several years, a broken marriage, and a lot of heartache, Will and April finally become a couple, all with the help of a very perceptive little girl.

We’re not sure why, but “Some Kind of Wonderful” seems to have taken a back seat to some of John Hughes more popular teen comedies. But this movie features a memorable story and a great cast, along with a heartwarming tale of love. Keith and Watts are friends, but Watts is cruelly bullied because people suspect her of being gay, due to her tomboyish appearance. But when Keith shows interest in another girl, Watts realizes that she has to do something to show him how she feels. She teaches him how to kiss, but he still doesn’t understand what she really wants until the end of the movie, when the two finally make it work.

It took a bit of wishing dust to get these friends to see they were made for each other. In 1987, 13-year old Jenna, after being tricked into Seven Minutes in Heaven with her geeky best friend Matt, brushes him off and wishes she were 30. Jenna’s wish is granted, but to her dismay, she has grown into an adult with pretty questionable morals. What’s more, she realizes she has feelings for the man Matt has grown into, but he’s engaged to another woman. Luckily, her realization sends her back to 1987, and in her newfound maturity, she kisses Matt, allowing the two to start a new, better life with each other.

Based on the novel “Where Rainbows End” by Cecelia Ahern, this eventual love story follows Alex and Rosie, who have been friends forever. On Rosie’s 18th birthday, the two kiss, but because of a series of misunderstandings, it ends up pushing the two further apart. Both of their lives quickly begin to spiral, as they each sleep with other people, and then the movie jumps forward several years into their adulthood. Though they’re friends first, they can’t deny that there’s something more to their relationship, despite all of the issues they are faced with.

Even though fans saw this relationship coming from a mile away, it didn’t make its inevitable conclusion any less satisfying. In the earlier films, Ron and Hermione have a friendly but combative relationship and spend a lot of time arguing with each other. As the story progresses though and the two mature, it becomes clear that there’s more than friendship behind their passionate feelings for one another. Through all the adventures they share over the next few years, their feelings become more obvious until they finally kiss near the end of “The Deathly Hallows: Part 2”. Too bad that pesky Battle of Hogwarts was happening at the same time!

“Can men and women just be friends?” Definitely not this classic rom com couple, who despite their natural chemistry and the fact that they keep entering each other’s lives, take years to realize that they’re meant to be together. Both Billy Crystal’s Harry and Meg Ryan’s Sally are flawed but lovable characters, with plenty of memorable quirks. It’s these quirks that keep them together through thick and thin, and even though they hit a few speed bumps along the way, they still can’t stay away from each other, leading to one of the most memorable and romantic scenes in film history. Now that’s what we call a New Year’s resolution!