25 Teen Movie Couples You Idolized Growing Up

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Played by: Sean Patrick Thomas and Julia Stiles

Saying that Sara was down on her luck is quite the understatement: not only did she flub her audition to get into Juilliard, but her mom had a fatal car accident on her way there. But then Derek popped and locked his way into her heart, so it all evened out.

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Played by: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet

Falling in love aboard the most famous ship of all time, Jack and Rose deserve all the credit for the term “shipping.” Yes, their romance was cut terribly short by that iceberg, but just like Rose, we never forgot about it.  

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Played by: Stacey Dash and Donald Faison

With their constant bickering, Dionne and Murray could have easily been like that couple you've run into who can't keep it together in public. But instead of rolling our eyes, we couldn't look away because we all knew Dionne couldn't help but make up with him with just as much passion.

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Played by: Molly Ringwald and Michael Schoeffling

When it comes to teen couples of the ‘80s, Sam and Jake of Sixteen Candles take the (birthday) cake. We took notes because, to this day, the name “Jake Ryan” is used as a term for the perfect boyfriend. 

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Played by: Shane West and Mandy Moore

Usually teen couples in movies face obstacles like disapproving parents or coming from opposing cliques. But those issues seemed petty compared to Landon and Jamie, who had to deal with her terminal illness. Bummer.

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Played by: John Cusack and Ione Skye

Lloyd pioneered the go-to way to make your other half forgive you: When you can’t express your feelings in words, you stand outside her house and let a boom box do the talking. 

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Played by: Winona Ryder and Christian Slater

Growing up, if you couldn't stand the people around you, J.D. and Veronica's lethal union was the ultimate beacon of hope that yes, there was a ride-or-die girl out there who felt the same way. Although their dates consisted of killing off the obnoxious people who made high school hell (over the usual dinner-and-a-movie), the way they had each other's backs was totally admirable.

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Played by: Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ethan Embry

Before Drake made "YOLO" everyone's motto, Preston Meyers was taking control of his fate in Can’t Hardly Wait. When he finally got the courage to profess his love to his longtime crush, Preston pushed all of us to take the risk with the Amanda Beckett in our lives, too. 

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Played by: Brian Backer and Jennifer Jason Leigh

Fast Times at Ridgemont High was a PSA disguised as a comedy. In the pantheon of sexually charged ‘80s teen flicks, Rat is a wonder because he’s the one who said no to his crush Stacy. It went to show that if you’re not sure of how to do it the right way, waiting is always an option.  

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Played by: Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson

When nerdy Ronald paid popular cheerleader Cindy a grand to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month, he got more than he bargained for—she caught feelings for him and he lost himself in newfound popularity. But when they finally got together for real, it taught us that true love is priceless. 

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Played by: Jason London and Michelle Burke

Even though Pink was dating another girl, Simone, he was always interested in Jodi. When Pink and Jodi finally hooked up at that party in the woods, the lesson was loud and clear: Never settle, especially during high school. 

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Played by: Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay

High school student Joel and working girl Lana were supposed to have a strictly client/escort relationship. But when they got to business, even the doors of Joel’s house were blown away by the chemistry—literally. 

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Played by: Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd

What made Cher and Josh's union so commendable is that he made it through uncharted territory: the ex-stepbrother zone. Despite Josh staying at her house, she still pursued by pretty boy Christian instead. But Cher came around and eventually realized that her true love was right under her nose the whole time.

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Played by: Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan

Jim may have infamously given the D to the pie, but he handed his heart to Michelle, who was thankfully a human and not a pastry. Whereas other teen comedies left us imagining the happily-ever-after of its protagonists, sequels like American Wedding have shown us that post-teen coupledom is just as much worth watching. 

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Played by: Michael J. Fox and Elisabeth Shue

As a couple, Marty and Jennifer withstood the test of time, albeit in a whole new way thanks to the time-traveling DeLorean. While visiting the past in the first film, Marty almost hooked up with his mom as a teenager, while Jennifer got subjected to a grim look at what could have been her future with Marty in Part II. Time machine or not, they proved to be timeless.  

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Played by: Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy

If that Saturday detention taught us anything, it was that looks can be deceiving. Despite Andy’s status as a varsity jacket-wearing jock, he was just as flawed as everyone else, including the reclusive basket case Allison. Her makeover was hardly the reason they eventually kissed, since they already got to know each other on the inside. Awww.

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Played by: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

In this 1950s-set musical, Danny and Sandy’s summer fling became complicated when it turned out they were now attending the same school. But through the ups and downs, they never stopped thinking about each other. Or singing.

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Played by: Matthew Broderick and Mia Sara

Couples don’t get more adventurous than Ferris and Sloane, who skipped school together for a really long date. We would totally call out Ferris’ best friend Cameron for being the third wheel here, but we were there with them, too. 

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Played by: Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Bradford

Despite the heated rivalry between the Toros and the Clovers, we found ourselves cheering for the team of Torrance and Cliff. This preppy cheerleader and low-key musician balanced each other out—while Cliff made her less high-strung, Torrance taught him school spirit can be cool, even incorporating the song he wrote for her into her cheerleading routine. 

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Played by: Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon

At first, we were worried about what would happen when Sebastian decided to pursue the virginal Annette for the sake of a bet. But then he unexpectedly caught feelings and ultimately became selfless. Kind of a punk movie, but you know—emotions.

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Played by: Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes

In this modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet were as star-crossed as ever. While their determination to be together was cool and all, their tragic ending made everyone think twice before saying they couldn’t live without their significant other.

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Played by: Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook

Zack and Laney were brought together by a bet (sidebar: why do so many people gamble with their hearts in teen movies?), challenging him to transform her from a nerdy artist into the prom queen. But we were betting on this couple way before Laney ditched the glasses for a slinky red dress. As Laney showed Zack to look beyond his clique, he helped her become more confident.  

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Played by: Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger

Normally putting on a song-and-dance routine for your girl in front of her entire soccer team is more likely to embarrass her than make her swoon. But Patrick’s cool yet playful rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” for Kat set the standard for how surprises should be done. 

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Played by: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams

Noah and Allie’s journey saw them go from smitten teens to an elderly couple fiercely latching onto each other until the end. Whether it was their spontaneous first date lying in the middle of the road, or their epic reconciliation in the rain, their romance made us feel all the feels. When it comes to The Notebook's legacy, Noah said it best: “It still isn’t over.” 

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Played by: Judd Nelson and Molly Ringwald

Sometimes, it isn’t love at first sight, and as John and Claire showed us, first impressions can be rough. On the outside, he may have been a rebel from the wrong side of the tracks, and she may have been known as the pristine princess. But as they fell in love in that library that Saturday morning, we learned to never judge a book by its cover. 

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