The 20 best movies about divorce

Reese Witherspoon is at her charming best in Sweet Home Alabama, where she stars as Melanie Smooter, a young woman who returns home to get a divorce, only to fall in love with her estranged husband. There’s potent chemistry between Witherspoon and Josh Lucas, and the film also features a fantastic performance from Candice Bergen. This movie is a reminder that sometimes divorce isn’t always the answer and that some marriages are worth fighting for. Moreover, it also reflects on the power of home and how some ties are too binding ever to be thrown away.

Though Hollywood has produced some very good movies about the complexity of divorce and its aftermath, a number of international features have also addressed this issue. One of the more notable recent examples is the Italian Mascarpone, focusing on a young man, Antonio, who is trying to put his life back together after his husband files for divorce. There’s a remarkable subtlety to this lovely film that helps to elevate it above the cliches in which it sometimes indulges. What’s more, Antonio is such a lovable hero that it’s impossible not to cheer for him as he sets out once again to find love.

As same-sex has become an increasingly prominent part of American social and cultural life, so has same-sex divorce. Hollywood has been a bit slow to catch up, but 2023 saw the release of the emotionally resonant film Our Son, starring Billy Porter and Luke Evans as a gay couple, Gabriel and Nicky, whose divorce results in a bitter custody battle over their son. As with the best stories about divorce, this film is filled with emotionally resonant moments, allowing viewers to see both sides of the divorce equation. Neither side is entirely right or entirely wrong, and this makes the demise of their marriage all the more devastating and understandable. 

Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito made for a winning combination in the hit Romancing the Stone, and they are just as charming and hilarious in The War of the Roses. Douglas and Turner are perfectly cast as Oliver and Barbara Rose, a married couple whose marriage starts to decline, leading to a particularly bitter (yet hilarious) divorce. It’s one of those films that doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to the caustic nature of its comedy, so much so that one doesn’t particularly like these characters, even as one can’t help laughing at them. Moreover, it also demonstrates DeVito’s talents as a director.  

Cary Grant and Irene Dunne are perfectly cast in 1937’s The Awful Truth, in which they play a married couple who decide to divorce but proceed to do everything they can to keep the other person single. The film is a perfect example of the screwball comedy so popular in the 1930s, and it was a particular showcase for Grant as a leading man. The couple finally come to the conclusion that they still love one another after all. The film is thus a reminder that divorce isn’t always the panacea that people think it is and that sometimes it’s worth working through one’s differences. 

George Cukor was a director well-known for his ability to craft so-called women’s pictures, and one of his greatest efforts was The Women. It’s quite an extraordinary film, partly because, true to its title, it is exclusively about women, their desires, and their needs, even if most revolve around the men in their lives. The heart of the film is Norma Shearer’s Mary, who ultimately gets divorced from her husband Stephen but who, in the end, decides to reunite with him. It’s a hilarious film that boasts a talented cast, including Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, and Joan Fontaine.

Julianne Moore is rightly regarded as one of the most talented actresses of her generation, and she can create remarkably unique, textured, and distinct characters. In Gloria Bell, she plays Gloria Bell, a divorcée who begins a relationship with a divorced man while grappling with the fact that her children are grown up and no longer need her. Though not much happens plot-wise in this particular film, it nevertheless deserves credit for showing a divorced woman who is her own person and who can forge a life, with or without a man. 

There’s no question that divorce is an often ugly process, with each party sometimes resorting to despicable behavior to gain the other hand. Such an acrimonious state of affairs is the heart of the film Shoot the Moon,  which stars Albert Finney and Diane Keaton as George and Faith Dunlap, a married couple whose marriage slowly breaks down and ends in divorce. The film certainly doesn’t shy away from some dark material, and sometimes it can be a bit difficult to watch these two people being truly terrible to one another. Yet this unflinching willingness to look divorce squarely in the eye gives Shoot the Moon its undeniable power. 

As the title implies, Stepmom  is very much a product of the late 1990s, and at the heart of the film is Susan Sarandon’s Jackie, a woman who is contending with the fact that her ex-husband now has a new girlfriend and additionally has terminal cancer. Sarandon is remarkably effective as Jackie, and Julia Roberts is likewise perfectly cast as Isabel, the new girlfriend. The film effectively demonstrates the many complications that arise after a divorce. Though some of the plot points are a bit predictable (and sometimes more than a little manipulative), the film as a whole still manages to be quite touching and thought-provoking.

Coming out at the end of the 1970s, Kramer vs. Kramer  is very much a product of its time, focusing on how divorce can profoundly impact the children caught in the middle. Meryl Streep gives a typically terrific performance as Joanne Kramer, who leaves her husband and son and files for divorce. Of particular note is how the film depicts the ugliness of custody battles, particularly once the two Kramers and their lawyers resort to harsh measures in the courtroom. However, it never loses sight of the humans at the story's core, and this solidifies its tremendous and enduring emotional power.

While the fortunes of the romantic comedy film were undoubtedly on the wane in the 2010s, they received a nice boost thanks to Crazy, Stupid, Love,  which stars Steve Carell as Cal Weaver, a rather sad-sack guy whose impending divorce knocks him for a loop. However, he soon gets some helpful dating advice from playboy Jacob Palmer, played by the ever-charming Ryan Gosling. Various misunderstandings and hijinks ensue, but Cal ultimately learns that it is possible to move on from divorce, even if the film suggests that there might be a future with his ex after all. 

In 1974, Ingmar Bergman released a film version of his haunting miniseries Scenes from a Marriage, chronicling the dissolution of the marriage between Marianne and Johan. It’s one of those films that excels at providing emotional intimacy and insight, allowing the viewer to understand the complex and often ugly emotions entailed in divorce in remarkable detail. Even though some of the full nuance is lost in the adaptation from a miniseries to a theatrical film, there is still much to admire. It would have a lasting legacy, inspiring other filmmakers and resulting in a remake in 2021.

Released in 1995, Waiting to Exhale is a remarkable exploration of the concerns and emotions of four Black women and, just as importantly, of the friendship and bonds they forge with one another. All four women have relationship difficulties of one sort or another, and two of them go through messy divorces. The storyline revolving around Angela Bassett’s Bernadine Harris is a particular pleasure to watch as she takes vengeance on her husband, who divorces her for another woman even after she gave up her career and life to build a family with him. Though the women all ultimately find romantic happiness, it’s still clear that their greatest and strongest bonds will always be with one another.

Nancy Meyers is one of those writer-directors with a remarkably keen eye for what makes a romantic comedy, which helps to explain why Something’s Gotta Give  is so enduringly funny and pleasurable. It certainly helps that it stars Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, who play a playboy and a divorced playwright who unexpectedly find love. It’s the type of romantic comedy that never deigns to talk down to its audience. Instead, thanks to Meyers’ smart writing and remarkable performances from Nicholson and Keaton, both of whom are undoubtedly at the top of their game.

Noah Baumbach is one of those directors with a keen eye for the human condition, and many of his films are achingly adept at showing ordinary people navigating the emotional difficulties of modern life. In The Squid and the Whale,  for example, he shines a light on the life of two boys whose parents go through a divorce. What is particularly remarkable about this film is just how funny it is. Moreover, it features some strong performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline (who play boys Walt and Frank) and Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney (who play their parents, Bernard and Joan).

Mrs. Doubtfire  is pure 1990s. Focusing on Robin Williams Daniel Hillard, it follows him as he disguises himself as the English nanny Mrs. Doubtfire to see his three children after his divorce. Given that Robin Williams is the star, the film is undeniably funny, and it features some of the actor’s most sophisticated humor. At the same time, it also reveals how ugly divorce can be, particularly once Sally Field’s Miranda Hillard learns the truth. It has just the right blend of sentiment and hilarity, and, perhaps best of all, it even has a happy ending.

Released in 1961, the original version of The Parent Trap starred the precocious Hayley Mills as identical twins Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers, identical twins who were separated after their parents divorced. When they accidentally meet at camp, they discover the truth and devise a plan to get their parents back together. Hijinks ensue, including the twins playing a number of tricks on their father’s new love interest. It’s a very fun movie, in large part thanks to the performance of Hayley Mills, who is her usual charming self, as well as the performances from Brian Keith, Maureen O’Hara, and Joanna Barnes.

As its title suggests, The First Wives Club  focuses on a group of women who set out to get revenge on their husbands who have, of course, left them for younger women. Its central trio is the very definition of fabulous, composed as it is of Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton. There’s undeniable chemistry between the three leads, who give some of the most memorable and hilarious work of their storied careers. What makes the film particularly delightful is its willingness to lean into the silliness rather than try to be something it isn’t. It is, when all is said and done, pure fun.

Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, and Cary Grant make for an engaging trio, and there’s more than enough chemistry to go around. Hepburn is perfectly cast as Tracy Samantha Lord, a socialite who gets into a bit of a love triangle with her ex-husband, Grant’s C.K. Dexter Haven, and Stewart’s Mike Connor. Various hijinks ensue, but fortunately, all of the right people end up together, including Tracy and Dexter, who realize they have loved one another all along. Director George Cukor knows how to get the best performances from his star, and the film manages to be fun and sweet both simultaneously.

Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story  is one of those films that captures the human anguish that is so often at the heart of divorce. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are perfectly cast as Nicole and Charlie Barber, and their divorce is the heart and soul of the film. Marriage Story doesn’t shy away from the pain and anguish of a marriage’s collapse but does a remarkably good job of showing how neither person is solely to blame. There is also humor here, and what emerges allows the viewer to see divorce in all of its complexity and sometimes frustrating nuance.