Against All Odds

The only thing lying between the lovers in While You Were Sleeping is his comatose brother. But that's nothing compared with the obstacles faced by other film couples. Take a look at just how rough the course of true love has gotten.

Where's Poppa?(1970, FoxVideo)
Romance: Gordon (George Segal), a lawyer, has lost his heart to nurse Louise (Trish Van Devere).
Trouble is: His senile mom (Ruth Gordon) has a habit of making embarrassing comments about his anatomy.
As Gordon says: ''Ma, there's a girl here that I want you to meet....I like her very much....And I want you to know that if you mess this one up for me, I'm gonna punch your f---ing heart out.''

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985, Orion)
Romance: Depression-era waitress Cecilia (Mia Farrow) falls for explorer Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels).
Trouble is: He's a movie character who has stepped off the screen.
As Cecilia says: ''I just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional, but you can't have everything.''

Ladyhawke(1985, Warner)
Romance: Phillipe (Matthew Broderick), a medieval thief, is trying to unite Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Navarre into a wolf by night.
Trouble is: A curse turns Isabeau into a hawk by day and Navarre into a wolf by night.
As Navarre says: ''You must save this hawk...my last and best reason for living.''

Miracle Mile (1989, HBO)
Romance: Musician Harry (Anthony Edwards) has finally found Ms. Right, waitress Julie (Mare Winningham).
Trouble is: Just after he finds her, nuclear war is declared.
As Julie says: ''And we'll be together, won't we? When it comes? Even if we're atoms or spirits, we'll be together?''

Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991, Touchstone)
Romance: Nina (Juliet Stevenson), a translator, is still very much in love with Jamie (Alan Rickman), a cellist.
Trouble is: Jamie's dead — and he keeps appearing in Nina's apartment, redecorating and watching videos all night with his deceased friends.
As Nina says: ''I mean, why can't you just go back to heaven while I'm at work?''