Anne Hathaway has played plenty of characters who fall in love, but her romantic roles have rarely looked exactly the same. Sometimes there’s a royal palace involved, sometimes it’s an old friendship that turns into something more complicated, and sometimes love comes with a fair amount of heartbreak. From ‘Nicholas Nickleby’ to Emma and Dexter’s years-long story, here are seven Anne Hathaway movies worth revisiting if you’re in the mood for a little romance.
‘Nicholas Nickleby’ (2002)
Anne Hathaway as Madeline Bray in ‘Nicholas Nickleby’ 2002(Image Credit: Screen Grab from Youtube)
Before many of Hathaway’s better-known romantic roles, there was ‘Nicholas Nickleby’. Hathaway plays Madeline Bray, a young woman dealing with a difficult situation at home. She meets Nicholas Nickleby, played by Charlie Hunnam, and the two gradually become close. Their romance is only one part of the story. The movie is much more focused on Nicholas and his family and everything they go through after his father’s death. Madeline’s story brings a quieter romantic thread to the film, and Hathaway fits surprisingly well into the period setting.
‘Ella Enchanted’ (2004)
‘Ella Enchanted’ gives Hathaway perhaps her most traditional fairy-tale romance. She plays Ella, a young woman who has been placed under a magical spell that forces her to obey every command she is given. Naturally, getting through everyday life becomes a little difficult. Things become more interesting when she meets Prince Char, played by Hugh Dancy. Their first meetings are filled with teasing and banter before their relationship starts becoming more serious. With its magic, adventure and fairytale setting, ‘Ella Enchanted’ is much lighter than some of Hathaway’s other romantic films. It’s also one of those movies that many viewers return to simply for the nostalgia.
Anne Hathaway as Ella in’ Ella Enchanted’ (2004)(Image Credit: Screen grab from Youtube)
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement’ (2004)
In the first ‘The Princess Diaries’ movie, Mia Thermopolis was mostly trying to figure out how to be a princess. The sequel gives her love life a lot more attention. Mia finds herself caught between Andrew Jacoby, played by Callum Blue, and Nicholas Devereaux, played by Chris Pine. Nicholas starts as someone she can barely stand, but, as expected, things between them become a little more complicated. What makes the movie fun is that Mia isn’t simply waiting around for a prince. She wants to become queen and is determined to prove that she is ready for the role. The romance is there, but so is Mia’s journey towards becoming more confident in who she is. And, of course, Hathaway’s awkward-but-lovable take on Mia is a big part of what makes the movie so rewatchable.
Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis in ‘The Princess Diaries 2:Royal Engagement'(2004)(Image Credit: Movie Poster)
‘Passengers’ (2008)
In ‘Passengers’, Hathaway takes on a much darker romantic role. She plays Claire Summers, a therapist who is assigned to work with Eric, played by Patrick Wilson, after he survives a plane crash. At first, Claire is simply trying to help the survivors deal with what happened. But she soon starts noticing that something about the crash doesn’t quite make sense. Her growing closeness with Eric only leaves her with more questions. The film mixes their relationship with a mystery surrounding the accident, making this a very different kind of romance from Hathaway’s more straightforward love stories.
Anne Hathaway as Claire Summers in ‘Passengers'(2008)(Image Credit: Poster of Movie)
‘Valentine’s Day’ (2010)
‘Valentine’s Day’ is basically a collection of different love stories happening around Los Angeles on — you guessed it — Valentine’s Day. Hathaway plays Liz, who is dating Kelvin (played by Jamie Foxx). At first, their relationship seems fairly straightforward. Then the movie reveals there’s more going on beneath the surface. Because the film jumps between several couples and singles, Hathaway’s story is only one piece of the larger picture. Still, her storyline gives the movie one of its more unexpected turns.
Anne Hathaway as Liz in ‘Valentine’s Day’ (2010)(Image Credit: Screen Grab from Youtube )
‘One Day’ (2011)
‘One Day’ is probably one of Hathaway’s most complicated love stories. The film follows Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, played by Jim Sturgess, checking in on their lives over several years. They start out as friends, but there is always something more sitting underneath their relationship. Emma is ambitious but unsure of her life’s direction, while Dexter takes a very different path. They date other people, drift apart and find their way back to each other more than once. That dynamic makes their relationship both frustrating and easy to get invested in. It isn’t a simple story about two people meeting and falling in love. Timing keeps getting in their way.
Anne Hathaway as Emma Morley in ‘One Day’ (2011)(Image Credit: Screen Grab from Youtube)
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