This one might seem strange, but my favorite romantic movie is "The Chronicles of Riddick."
I actually understand this. I was really sad that Riddick and Kyra didn't wind up together, although I admit there's always something... uneasy to me about a story in which the protector of a young child later turns into a love interest when the child grows up.
One of my all-time favorite movies is Terminator 2 (I almost cried when I saw how far they butchered this beautiful movie with the last installment), and something in the threads last week got me thinking about how it's also one of my favorite "love stories."
The T-800 Terminator's sole purpose and programming in life is to destroy, but yet is redirected to protect a human child with whatever it takes, even if it means losing its own life. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when the boy's mother, Sarah, reasons to herself that the Terminator is a perfect father for her son, because "in an insane world, this was the sanest choice."
Not only does the Terminator fulfill his mission in protecting this family, he also learns to value humanity so much that he's willing to sacrifice himself in order to help ensure their survival -- something that goes against the very core of his programming.
A Hollywood example of love conquering all, even one's inner self, to save others? It doesn't get much better than that.