Pro Acting Coach Breaks Down 17 Love-At-First-Sight Scenes | Good & Bad Acting

Acting coach and director Lauren Patrice Nadler critiques some of movies' most famous — and infamous — love-at-first-sight scenes. She reviews iconic couple introductions that range from great to mediocre to downright terrible, breaking down what went right and wrong in the actors' performances.

Hollywood romances are known for unrealistic but wildly romantic love-at-first-sight moments, whether it's a moment of sudden clarity between star-crossed lovers in "West Side Story" or a wordless exchange between two farmhands in "Brokeback Mountain." We're all familiar with the way these cinematic encounters go: One character catches the other's eye, everything else instantly falls away, and sparks fly. Sometimes it's a mutual attraction — as with Edward and Bella's biology-class introduction in "Twilight," or Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio's fish-tank meet-cute as Shakespeare's doomed lovers in "Romeo + Juliet." Other times it's unrequited — like when Michael Cera lays eyes on his crush in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" or when Joseph Gordon-Levitt falls for Zooey Deschanel in an elevator in "(500) Days of Summer." But it's not always convincing. So, when it comes to cinema's most famous romantic encounters, what separates the acting highs from the acting lows?

With examples ranging from teen favorites like "High School Musical" to romantic dramas like "Jason's Lyric," Nadler explains why some love-at-first-sight performances resonate with audiences, while other performances read as awkward or corny. She analyzes the beginnings of young love in "A Bronx Tale," outlaw love in "Bonnie and Clyde," vampire love in "Twilight," cowboy love in "Brokeback Mountain," '80s dance-floor love in "Valley Girl," and many other portrayals of instant love on screen. With each scene, Nadler assesses how different acting styles suit the film's overall tone and aesthetic, whether it's a classic rom-com like "Sleepless in Seattle," a tragic romance like "A Star Is Born," a crime thriller like "The Godfather," or a musical like "Cry-Baby." Nadler discusses how period pieces shape the performances of actors like Kate Winslet in "Titanic" or Cate Blanchett in "Carol," and points out how that first glance between Jack and Rose at the beginning of "Titanic" made way for the character development later in the film. She reacts to Nicolas Cage's googly eyes in his breakout role from "Valley Girl," Leo's turn as a teen heartthrob in Baz Luhrmann’s "Romeo + Juliet," and Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron's shy karaoke session at the opening of "High School Musical." And, of course, Nadler unpacks the legendary awkwardness of Robert Pattinson's facial expressions in "Twilight." Throughout the video, Nadler points out techniques great actors can use to look like they're falling in love on camera — as well as common acting mistakes that can make these moments feel forced or overly sentimental.

For more from Lauren Patrice Nadler:

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Pro Acting Coach Breaks Down 17 Love-At-First-Sight Scenes | Good & Bad Acting

[tiny_iguana]

Anyone else sitting in their bedroom trying to do realistic love-at-first-sight scenes with their wall or is that just me

[aya_]

I literally dieee when it’s the scene of bella and Edward bc she’s like questioning herself if she smells and he’s just struggling so dramatically😭💀.

[Madeliefschram]

We all know there's a difference in acting and Disney acting

[lillyf]

I love how she is so professional in her analysis of all the other scenes... until she sees a young Dicaprio

"Oh, young Leonardo...😍"

😂😂😂

[FabulousKilljoy]

She said it best “oh young Leonardo DiCaprio”😍😅

[rodneyscat]

In that Brokeback Mountain scene I love the use of hats. Kept waiting for her to comment on it. “They don’t have any words to use here...” (...but they have their hats), “So, the whole performance needs to be in their bodies...” (...and their hats), “The awkwardness, the shifting, the movements...” (...the hats).

[rai.b]

young dicaprio served a full course meal to a whole generation of fangirls

[AshlieJermaine]

Edward looked like he was gonna puke.

Jack looked at Rose with love at first sight, but you could also tell he was looking at her with an artist's eye.

[lunakelly]

I disagree with Twilight bit. That was not a love at first sight moment for them. Edward finds her irresistible in a sense that he wants to kill her and drink her blood, Bella was feeling very self conscious because she thinks she has BO.

The romance part came after he saved her from getting hit by a truck.

[abilea]

"Love at first sight" is so vague, half of these scenes express lust or admiration, the Twilight scene was suppost to portray disgust and curiosity

[kaylatowner]

Um...excuse me where is Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth??

[mjsalinas]

Love is not always intriguing or exiting or good. Love sometimes is scary, sometimes you don't want it. It depends on the character and the moment and that's as important to analyse as the acting itself.

[J_boohoo]

I'm the type of person who says to everybody that I hate romance but I actually really like scenes like these
HAHAHA

[torysmith]

To analyze the acting in this way is at a disadvantage; ACTORS DON’T CHOOSE THEIR TAKES on the final edit of the film. So in my opinion, you can never truly blame the actor, it’s all the editor and/or director. The actor(s) do a number of takes, and the editor stitches the entire film together, therefore actors are not entirely to blame for their performances to a degree. If you’re an actor and you do a thousand takes, a thousand different ways, but the editor and/or director chooses the “weak” take for technical reasons, or what have you, well, that’s not the actors fault. Film actors are truly only a piece of the entire puzzle being put together without them. Theatre on the other hand is where you CAN judge the actor; it’s happening in real time, no cuts, in your face, live.

[jupterinabottle...]

"by the end of the movie, obviously, she lets all of that go." man does that INCLUDE jack??

[mariajosebarney]

The carol scene, i feel as a gay woman, was perfect, that sense of pain and anxiety when you feel something for someone you just saw, you must instantly contrive, its painful to think your chances of them being gay too AND liking you too is just.. painful, specially at the time

[ranjinighosh]

Young johnny depp. Like. Wow. Who wouldn't fall in love at first sight with that. And that single strand of hair. Dayum

[palynaike]

I really loved the analysis, but I would disagree on some of these scenes as supposedly love at first sight. The twilight one, for example. He’s not smitten, he is appalled by what she’s making him feel. She’s supposed to be interested, sure, but he’s not enjoying her company at all.

[Caninecancersucksrocks]

Heath and Jake’s amazing acting abilities in Brokeback Mountain still just blows me away, every single time. Losing Heath so young was truly tragic - can you just imagine how much more spectacular he would be today with his acting?!
Both actors have my undying admiration for their incredibly raw, brave and believable acting in this.

[oliviaquiles]

She need to look at Debby Ryan in that movie where she makes all those weird faces