The Poster Memorabilia blog

The Last Epic Romance We Saw in Theaters

Three signatures from a ship that sailed in 1997, and a genre worth missing.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

Remember when Anyone But You, starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, premiered in 2023 and everyone lost their minds? People put out think pieces and video essays about whether rom-coms were back, how they weren't, and what differed between this movie and the beloved classics from the 90s and early 2000s.

It was a fascinating conversation at the time, but I was more focused on epic romances. Not since Titanic in 1997 have we had an amazing, dramatic love story of that scale. Old Hollywood used to do them in droves, but now? We barely get any at all.

You tell me: when was the last epic romance you watched in the cinema? Not a rom-com, not a period series, but a classic romance made for theaters. Can't think of a lot, can you? I'm sure there are a handful, but Hollywood isn't making these kinds of movies anymore.

“We need epic romances in movies again!”

So I can't help but still love Titanic, especially its cast. You get the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Kathy Bates in one movie and you've got gold. Naturally, I loved the on-screen couple because they gave me the epic romance I've always craved in films. But Bates also stole the show every time she was on screen.

My love for her grew even more when I actually met her at the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards. I saw her on the red carpet before she won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie that night, and she looked radiant. I almost teared up seeing her in person because I watched the film over and over for years.

It was surreal to see her in person, much less get her autograph. And just as I thought, she was such a nice lady. She wasn't as jovial as the unsinkable Molly Brown she played in the film, but she had a regal bearing you'd expect from a veteran movie star.

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I felt the same sort of otherworldly aura when I met the main couple, too. I saw Kate Winslet at the LA premiere of Divergent that same year, and she was resplendent. She looked every inch the noblewoman she played on screen, and I couldn't help but be dazzled by her.

Two years later, I finally saw Leonardo DiCaprio in person at the 2016 Golden Globes. He was there for The Revenant, and it was the year he finally won big in all of the major awards shows. I almost feel honored to have met him and gotten his autograph at that high point in his career. And yes, ladies, Leo really is that handsome in real life.

I also met the rest of the cast since then, but these three will always stand out to me. Titanic will always stand out to me, too, no matter how many movies come out each year. I still don't think there's been a film of that caliber in years. We need epic romances in movies again!

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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