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The 10 most iconic movie kisses

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • "I don't kiss on the mouth," Vivian warns Edward at the beginning of "Pretty Woman"
  • "When Harry Met Sally" kickstarted the debate as to whether men and women can be friends
  • "You need kissing badly," Rhett Butler told Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind"
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(InStyle.com) -- Is there anything as romantic as a classic big screen kiss? Even today -- when most Hollywood movies don't exactly fade to black after the lovers lock lips -- the best kisses still have the power to send shivers down the spine. In honor of Valentine's Day, InStyle chose the most memorable cinematic embraces: upside down, on a boat, and in the pouring rain.

"Gone with the Wind"

"You need kissing badly," Clark Gable, as Rhett Butler, told Vivien Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara in this 1939 epic. "You should be kissed, and often. And by someone who knows how." Later on, while proposing to the twice-widowed Scarlett, he proves he's the man for the job.

See all 25 iconic movie kisses

"Lady and the Tramp"

She was the original uptown girl; he was a lovable drifter. But when these two crazy pups came together over a very long piece of spaghetti in this 1955 animated film, it was forever.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's"

Truman Capote's original 1958 novella wasn't exactly a love story, so the author was less than thrilled with the 1961 big screen adaptation. (For one thing, he'd wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly.) But audiences adored this stylish film, particularly for the final scene, in which Holly (Audrey Hepburn) and Paul (George Peppard) make a rainy New York City alley seem as romantic as any pink-streaked sunset.

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"When Harry Met Sally"

This 1989 comedy made numerous witty contributions to the romantic lexicon -- and kickstarted a (still-raging) debate as to whether men and women could "really" be friends -- but it was the pair's New Year's Eve reconciliation that moved viewers to tears. As Billy Crystal (Harry) told Meg Ryan (Sally): "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

"Pretty Woman"

"I don't kiss on the mouth," Vivian (Julia Roberts) warns Edward (Richard Gere) at the beginning of this 1990 movie. So when she does, it's pivotal -- the audience understands that she's come to regard Edward as much more than a client. But even that kiss can't beat the one at the happy ending, after Edward "rescues" Vivian on her fire escape and she promises to "rescue him right back."

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"Ghost"

Technically, in this scene from the 1990 film, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) is making out with Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg). But because Oda Mae is channeling Molly's late boyfriend Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze), it's Sam that Molly -- and the viewers -- get to see.

"Titanic"

Director James Cameron initially planned to cast "an Audrey Hepburn type" to play the female lead in this 1997 epic, and Leonardo DiCaprio nearly turned down his role. It's still captivating to see him woo Kate Winslet's Rose, even if, as DiCaprio said in a recent interview, kissing Kate is "like kissing a family member."

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"Spiderman"

The upside down kiss that Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) shared with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) in this 2002 flick was breath-taking for Maguire, but not for the reasons you might think. "The whole time I had rainwater running up my nose," he said. "Then, when Kirsten rolled back the mask, she cut my air off completely."

"Slumdog Millionaire"

It was easy to see why Jamal (Dev Patel) was so hung up on his childhood friend Latika (Freida Pinto). When they finally kiss on a Mumbai train platform, it's a moment as exuberantly optimistic as the goofy dance scene that follows. Bonus points for still being a couple to this off-screen day.

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"Twilight"

Even the most diehard members of Team Jacob can't deny the romantic power of Bella and Edward's first kiss. Kristen Stewart -- who's almost uniformly closemouthed about her off-screen relationship with costar Robert Pattinson -- did offer "I get to kiss Edward Cullen," when asked to name a few of her favorite things about the gig.

See if your favorite movie kisses made our list in our expanded gallery at InStyle.com!

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