A date movie is any film that is recommended by someone who has seen it to someone who has not, specifically for the purpose of taking a potential romantic interest. War movies, (with the possible exceptions of
Saving Private Ryan and
I Was A Female War Bride, are not good date movies. Guys tend to like them. Girls tend to not. This is a stereotype however. In fact the entire concept of
choosing a good date movie is inherently sexist. It tends to degrade the individuals in question to the point of smarmy
Barbie doll loving female and dumber than a brick sex-starved
stick it in if it stands still long enough male.
Some men like mushy, tug on the heartstrings kinda stuff. We just don't like it around women, because if a woman catches a man crying, at first they think "oh how sweet" and then they think "what a wimp" and don't go out on the next date with him. So anything with Meryl Streep in it is out of the question. Women don't mind car chases and people getting blown out of buildings and even the occasional bloody carnage all over the streets of Manhattan as some multilegged furry creature with eyestalks swallows the Statue of Liberty whole. However, it's vitally important to women that the plot of the movie makes sense, and that somewhere prominent in the film there's a woman falling in love with a financially lucrative guy.
So, taking the generally stereotypical differences of the sexes in mind, and also taking into account the specifics of a given couple (a biker chick and a male librarian may have very unique and unpredictable issues about movie selection were they to date), one can best determine the most ideal date movie for any couple. And if you get really stumped, I recommend Sliding Doors anyway. Gwyneth Paltrow. It's got romance and angst, and features a unique storytelling tool which works much like a subtle scifi touch, so both buys and gals can appreciate it. And it quotes from Monty Python too. Great date movie.