# Movies for the Divorcing and Seperated



## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

When simply watching a bubblegum commercial and all the smiling faces and never-ending hand-holding make you want to explode...

Mustn't there be entertainment for the ruined? *Post your recommendations for movies that deal with relationships that aren't all about happy endings* and "true loving winning out". gag. *entries must have youtube links *or you will be hunted down!

[updated]

*For Him or Her:*

Best bad divorce movie ever:
War of the Roses

Best toxic relationship movie ever:
Bitter Moon

Best relationship you're glad you're not still in movie:
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Good Existential Aftermath movie:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Best Fortitude after buying a zoo:
We Bought A Zoo

Best Christian Forgiveness and Letting Go of a Love Boat past:
Secret of Jonathon Sperry

Best Mid-Life Crisis watch a Plastic Bag in the Contemplation of the Sublime:
American Beauty

Best Break-Up, Stalker end it all with a Vampire Puppet Opera:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Best No Mas Senior Bueno Hombre (yeah, ok. no idea. it's not subtitled on youtube)
No eres tu, soy yo

Best when Robin Williams was funny about relationships movie
Mrs. Doubtfire

Best what-baby-wants-baby-gets follow up to Swingers meltdown comedy
The Break-Up

Best "A Fish Called Harry Met Sally"
French Kiss

The Best... don't you remember that this is the Best? You said it was your favorite? movie about being told what your favorite movie is movie:
Gaslight


*For Him:*

Best Self-Help comedy:
Swingers

Good recent movie about dealing with being a Nice Guy, plus... you know, Ryan Gosling:
Crazy Stupid Love

Best "180" + Jessica Alba
Meet Bill

Best family friendly, yelling at your cheating wife in a coma movie:
The Descendants

Best episode of "New Girl" for guys
500 Days of Summer

Best thing Burt Reynolds ever did that didn't involve a manual transmission
Starting Over


*For Her:*

Best thing to survive 2 1/2 Men
Hello I Must Be Going



*Honorable Mentions (without link or annotation):
*
Eat Pray Love!
Definitely Maybe
Under the Tuscan Sun
Any Horror or SciFi (except Soderberg's Solaris which will jack your sh!t up... like some sort of existential Dr Phil in space.)


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

I think of this as more of a 'coming out the other side' movie:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

When (if) you can get to the point of feeling like it's better to have loved & lost, yada yada. Recognizing flaws in yourself as well as the other person. Still formulating on this one...


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## Nsweet (Mar 3, 2012)

I liked "Meet Bill" because it's about a lovable loser who's wife cheated on him and denied it up and down. He took it upon himself to set the donuts down and get in shape, and he applies the whole 180 on his own. He takes care of kids and I think he was running for office. It's a sleeper comedy but it's actually good and not some generic piece of crap where everything falls into place or he gets help by a guy who shows up right when needed. No he really works for it unlike Crazy Stupid Love.

Also check out spanish movie "Labios Rojos" it's entirely spanish subtitled. Anyways it's about a man who loses his libido and only get's it back when he starts thinking about other women. But he doesn't cheat on his wife! He and his wife both go crazy and nearly have affairs, but don't. They fall back in love once they start spending more time together and think of the reasons why they first fell in love. I loved what his old boss said in the end, something about "you have to put her ahead of your job or lose her forever..... I regret my decision to choose work over her everyday.". Freaking awesome movie!


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## Houstondad (Jul 6, 2011)

Just watched the Descendants. It was tough at times watching the emotional rollercoaster Clooney was going through. But the scene between him and the OM is tough to swallow at times and funny as hell too.


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

added Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf to the master list.

Links, people. LINKS!


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

"And, thank you, AP, for providing a link in your post. I know I can always count on you."

Why, you're welcome, O.


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## nothingleft (Aug 22, 2012)

Eat Pray Love! definitely. and Definitely Maybe


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## brokenmama (May 27, 2012)

Under the Tuscan Sun!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

Oh, AP. You are such a rare basket of cats. Thanks for the recommendation particularly because it's got a preview link.


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## wiigirl (Jun 14, 2012)

angelpixie said:


> I think of this as more of a 'coming out the other side' movie:
> 
> Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
> 
> When (if) you can get to the point of feeling like it's better to have loved & lost, yada yada. Recognizing flaws in yourself as well as the other person. Still formulating on this one...


One of my favorites!


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## boxhead201 (Jun 8, 2012)

This is what I have been watching recently... Slightly off topic.

Airplane! I watch that nightly because it puts a smile on my face.
Blue Velvet (I like Dennis hopper in this one) 
Robot Chicken/Family Guy star wars episodes (makes me smile)
blue valentine
Castaway (because I feel like one in HK)
Revolutionary row
Truman
Hunger games


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## sadwithouthim (Dec 8, 2011)

I know you are looking for ones with out a happy ending but Fireproof has been a great tool for me. Not so much for winning my spouse back but it has been a rock in creating the person I want to be and not to mention a better Christian. The perseverance and the not giving up attitude of Kirk Cameron no matter what his wife threw at him has given me the strength ot over come anything in my path.

My second favorite has become We Bought a Zoo. Man the dedication and strength that Matt Damen "Benjamin Mee" had in this movie is awesome. I love his answer to difficult questions?
We Bought a Zoo (2011) - IMDb

Lastly, The Secrets of Johnathon Sperry was an amazing movie teaching me forgiveness and letting go for my own sake.
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2008) - IMDb


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

SWH, awesome. thanks for the suggestions with links!!!

Box...any man that finds solace in Blue Velvet is just the type of neighbor i want to share a pbr with!


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

Pabst! Blue! Ribbon! (is swill, just sayin')


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## vi_bride04 (Mar 28, 2012)

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this one

American Beauty (1999) - Movie Trailer - YouTube

About suburban life, relationships...a little dark but I love the storyline.


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

vi-bri, i was thinking that yesterday and got stuck on whether or not it was a general movie or a "him" movie. i'm going to put it in both. great suggestion. thanks.


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## hope4family (Sep 5, 2012)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall helped me with moving on from long term relationships. Especially because he moves on and finds someone else. Although it doesn't necessarily end in love. When these things happen, that is life either way.


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

Hope4, I LOVE Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Good suggestion.

The suggestions are supposed to be movies that don't specifically end in a fairytale typical Hollywood ending. Sarah Marshall is a great break-up movie!


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## pseudonym (Aug 19, 2012)

I just watched The Descendents based upon the recommendation of this thread. Wow, what a movie.

500 Days of Summer is another "getting over a breakup" movie that I'd recommend which fits the criteria of this thread.


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

good call, pseudo. i haven't seen that movie since it first came out. must dive in again.


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## boxhead201 (Jun 8, 2012)

More off topic ... 

Saturday Night Live (since I am in HK) season opener
Robot Chick season opener
The Shining
Star Trek TOS - Balance of Terror
Passion of the Christ (part of it)


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

Boxy, i added the "any horror or scifi" tag. what was the snl season opener? the jgl one is on tonight and is very good.


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## moxy (Apr 2, 2012)

Great list. Great suggestion for a thread, too.

I rather liked "Solaris". 

These are movies I've seen recently that lifted my spirits or got me to think about things. I suppose that they are all about deception and betrayal, rather than divorce or separation, but, you never know what will appeal to your emotions when going through this sort of thing.
"Sunshine"
"Ondine" 
"Mr. Fix It"
"Torchwood: Miracle Day" 

I'm going to have to think of which movies I'd recommend that more explicitly deal with divorce and separation and come back to this thread...

I have to say that movies, TV shows, and novels have gotten me through a lot of days during this process. That and journalling about them.


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## moxy (Apr 2, 2012)

Both Him and Her...

"It's Not You, It's Me" (or, "No eres tu, soy yo") is also worth watching. It makes you want to get over your own marriage-fail misery because you just do not want to be that pathetic guy on the screen and yet you feel like you are...

No eres tú, soy yo (2010) - IMDb


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

Moxy, I loved the Solaris remake but it's all about the wife and families. totally not appropriate for this list. Great for the moping though.


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## LovesHerMan (Jul 28, 2011)

pre-divorce scene Kramer vs Kramer - YouTube

Mrs. Doubtfire: Home Inspection - YouTube

The Break-up - YouTube

French Kiss - Movie Trailer - YouTube


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

I'd forgotten about The Break-Up. Totally need to see that again. Don't think i know much about French Kiss. The Youtube notes indicate that the trailer is terrible but the movie is good.

I didn't post Kramer vs Kramer because it's the quintessential movie About divorce; rather than For the divorcing. Nothing short of tear city in that movie.


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## jpr (Dec 14, 2011)

The Squid and the Whale...

The Squid and the Whale Trailer - Rotten Tomatoes


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## jpr (Dec 14, 2011)

I always kind of liked Sliding Doors too...
Sliding Doors Trailer - Rotten Tomatoes

Enternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind....ahhhh...that movie. Argh. That used to be one of my favorite movies...but, now, it just pulls at my heartstrings a little too intensely. I have tried to watch it all the way through several times in this past year...but, I can never do it. I always shut it off and go to bed depressed and heartbroken from it.


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

Just saw Sliding Doors last week. Don't know about that Paltrow accent.

"Hello I Must Be Going" with Melanie Lynskie from 2 1/2 Men is brilliant! Excellent script; good acting; familiar enough to be comfortable and enough off script to be very fresh. Mostly it's a girl movie but it's predominantly about somebody feeling shut down after a divorce and the sort of craziness that happens to get her started back up. And enough reverse-Lolita to keep it steamy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNjVjdn21jQ


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## jessy81 (Dec 2, 2012)

I love "The Break-up" .......i can really relate to it 
i'm hopefully gonna get my divorce finalized next week...........boy i can't wait.......he's been threatening & abusing me verbally & physically for YEARS now!! I want to permanently close this chapter of my precious life & move the hell on!


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

Brilliant Burt Reynolds, Jill Clayburgh, Candace Bergen movie from 79, produced by James Brooks called "Starting Over".

Burt plays a somewhat nebbish magazine writer that gets divorced from Candace and tries to figure out how to ... start over after an 8 year marriage. Despite the 35 years between then and now, and some obvious technology advances (pay phone in the lobby), the movie holds up.

Only thing i could find was this great scene from one of the group sessions but it's not very indicative of the entire movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwuylv6pVp0


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## Dollystanford (Mar 14, 2012)

No Dial M for Murder?

I can't link to youtube here so...bite me


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

euro-slacker.


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

Oh lawdy -- how could we have missed this one? The namesake for a classic WS tactic:

Gaslight

Bonuses: Incredibly stunning Ingrid Bergman, and the film debut of Angela Lansbury.


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

Zil- I do believe O started a thread of angry songs when he first landed here. 
Maybe he'll be a sweetheart & resurrect it for you.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## K.C. (Dec 1, 2012)

Wow, so many songs that get to me right now. I think another thread may be in order? If not;

The feelings I have had while with her and fearing losing her; Radiohead - Creep - YouTube

Feeling it can still lead to R; Don't dream it's over Crowded House - YouTube

Reality of realising your o your own; The Smiths - I Know It's Over Lyrics - YouTube


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

OK, because I'm helpful like that, I searched TAM and found a few other threads besides O's angry music thread.


http://talkaboutmarriage.com/going-through-divorce-separation/51239-mixtape-angry.html

http://talkaboutmarriage.com/social-spot/64214-what-song-got-you-through.html

http://talkaboutmarriage.com/social-spot/53613-digs-infidelity-music-thread.html

Post Your Favorite Sad Songs

http://talkaboutmarriage.com/social-spot/48088-hate-revenge-songs.html


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## vi_bride04 (Mar 28, 2012)

My anthem during all of this: Maybe Lyrics - Sick Puppies - YouTube

:smthumbup:


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## Dollystanford (Mar 14, 2012)

angelface remove that apostrophe 
it pains meeeeee!!!


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## Orpheus (Jul 6, 2012)

please move your song discussion over to the Angry Mixtape thread, folks. and nobody needs more sad songs in their life. or additional reasons to be sad. ergo...

http://talkaboutmarriage.com/going-through-divorce-separation/51239-mixtape-angry.html


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

Dollystanford said:


> angelface remove that apostrophe
> it pains meeeeee!!!


I KNOW!!! You do know I didn't put it there, right? It's in the original thread title, and the link turns to text when I post it. 

I'll try to fix it. We don't need anymore reasons for our blood pressure to go up. 

ETA: Done! For you, baby. :smthumbup:


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## confused777 (Nov 21, 2012)

No Country for Old Men - The only dvd I watch after my heartbreak. Can't get the following quotes out of my head!

"What you got ain't nothing new...you can't stop what's coming, it ain't all waiting on you - that's vanity".

4:37 No Country for Old Men (2007) - "I feel overmatched." - YouTube


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