It’s hard to think of a movie where problems in a relationship wouldn’t be touched upon in some way. In the end no such thing as a perfect relationship exists in real life, neither does it in movies. There are lots of primitive movies based on the idea of he cheated/I divorced him/ I met new love/ happily ever after happened. But there are also some great movies that focus on less customary problems in marriage – they make you think and even relate to what’s happening with the main characters.
So here is my list – Top 5 Movies About Marriage Problems That Actually Make You Think:
#5 Breaking & Entering
The idea: having a constant challenge in a relationship creates an ever growing distance. Caring for their behaviorally challenged daughter wears down a longtime couple - Will Francis (Jude Law) and Liv (Robin Wright Penn). Liv turns out to be more resilient (as most women are) and does everything to keep the family together. Will finds it easier to escape by starting an affair with a Bosnian immigrant. He thinks he made things a bit easier for himself whereas in fact it only gets more complicated. Food for thought: women are more likely to solve an existing family problem (e.g. see a counselor), men will try to escape dealing with it (having an affair as a way to forget about the problem even if not for long).
#4 The Hours
The idea: there are women out there (big surprise!) who actually consider having a family to be the biggest burden and sanity shaker. Laura (Julianne Moore)gets so sick of wearing her fake smile and pretending that she is content with her suburban life and role of a perfect wife and mother. She first attempts suicide but eventually settles for leaving her family (including two small children) for good as a way to regain her freedom and sanity. Food for thought: it’s quite dangerous to drive a woman to this extreme degree of misery – suburban housewife’s life is not for everyone.
#3 Revolutionary Road
The idea: another tribute to the suburban dream life myth. April (Kate Winslet) and Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) fight all the time unable to settle into the lifestyle imposed on them by the social norm of the time. They are briefly united by the idea of leaving it all and moving to Paris, but once their plan fails their relationship turns into pure undisguised hatred. Food for thought: uneventful predictable life can destroy the best of marriages.
#2 Mad Men
The idea: following social norms and commonly accepted stereotypes is far from having a happiness formula. Unhappy husbands, unhappy wives, their lonely children – all in pretty idealistic surroundings of a cute house in the suburbs, respectable job in Manhattan, recognition and admiration in the highest social circles. A "fairytale" life that leads to drinking, cheating, intensifying the feeling of loneliness, leading to depression and self-destructive behavior. Food for thought: striving for public approval, building your life from the mold conveniently provided by the society – will only result in estrangement and severe loneliness within your own family.
#1 Frida
The idea: what happens when it’s hard to be apart, and even harder to be together. Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) and Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) have the most dysfunctional marriage one could possibly imagine. There’s an enormous connection they share, they are each other’s biggest support. Yet neither can stand the idea of being locked in this marriage and both seek extramarital affairs to add to their life’s fulfillment. Soul mates struggling to coexist. Food for thought: marriage will always feel like a golden cage to some – as much as they enjoy the good things that come with it, they will long to escape this love-hate relationship just to be back awhile later.
What’s your favorite movie about problems in marriage or relationship?
Movies About Problems in Marriage
