Cue the Heartstrings

In most movies and books, it's easy to tell when characters fall in love. Cue the wobbly knees and sweaty palms as two people embrace for their first kiss. Cue the birds singing in the background, the music, and the panoramic view of the New York City skyline, preferably with the Empire State Building windows lit in the shape of a heart.

There are many examples of extraordinary feats of strength and courage that prove someone has been struck by Cupid's arrow. These scenes are often powerful and beautiful. But there are times when it's just as effective to use a small, sweet gesture to melt the hearts of our leading characters.

Recently I watched The Way We Were. My new favorite scene is near the beginning of the movie when Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand were talking one night at an empty, outdoor bar/cafe. They don't know each other well, and the conversation isn't as smooth as it is later in the movie when they know each other more intimately. The dialogue stops and starts, and I already want them to like each other and want one of them to say something witty to make them fall in love with each other. But they don't. Not yet.

But here's what does happen: The camera cuts to Streisand's untied shoe. Redford is sitting on a table, or short wall (I can't remember exactly), but he sees the shoe and she sees that he sees the shoe and he pats the front of his thigh and tells her to put her foot there. And she does. And he ties it. When he's finished, he gently touches the top of the shoe with his hand for just a moment.

This scene captured everything they were feeling through a simple gesture that spoke volumes. She was vulnerable, he was caring. A kind act that shows a character's emotions in a way that isn't sexual can increase the heat factor to be explored later, while also building tension.

Here's two examples of how other movies effectively capture these small moments:

In Stranger than Fiction, IRS agent Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) brought bakery owner Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal) an assortment of flours (also a play on words). She, of course, immediately invites him to her place.

And finally, who wouldn't want Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) from the movie Say Anything... standing in their driveway holding a boom box playing In Your Eyes, by Peter Gabriel?

So take these cues from the movies to show your characters falling in love through a small gesture. And if you have a favorite example, please share it!

Mary Horner is a freelance writer and editor, and the author of Strengthen Your Nonfiction Writing. She teaches communications at St. Louis and St. Charles Community Colleges.