15 Best Movies About Marriage & Divorce

Some of the best romance movies ever made have tackled some difficult territory, examining the complicated topics of marriage and divorce alike. While many of the most satisfying endings seen in film have closed happily, some of the strongest dramatic entries have taken a harder look at emotions, chronicling the difficult dissolutions of relationships and marriages.

Movies about divorces are not always easy to watch. Many such stories delve into the complex emotional turmoil that the falling apart of a relationship can hold. Loaded with heartbreak and genuine pain, these stories provide deep points of connection that can help anyone going through such a struggle find ways to still feel human.

However, considering a marriage that ends in divorce to be a failure is such a limiting way of looking at the world.

Seeing the connections that blossom between two people, even if they do not last forever, is an important emotional factor in movies about humans and relationships. Not every love lasts forever, but this does not take away from the value that it has provided to a life.

Sometimes letting go of a relationship is worth celebrating, not just grieving. Many of these complex films examine the fallouts of those relationships in different and often surprising ways. Moving on is a part of life, and seeing how that works can fill these stories with sadness, joy, humor, and heartbreak all at once, making these films essential watches.

Divorce Italian Style

An unusual look at marriage and divorce, this fantastic 1961 comedy directed by Pietro Germi deeply questions a number of confusing social mores. In the film, Ferdinando, a poor Sicilian nobleman played by Marcello Mastroianni, falls in love with his sixteen-year-old cousin, Angela, and wishes to be with her.

However, Ferdinando is married, and divorce is illegal. However, considering the law's lax treatment of honor killings, he devises an absurd path to being with Angela: he will secretly find his wife a new lover, catch them in the act, and murder her. After serving a short prison sentence, he will be able to be with Angela.

This convoluted path highlights major issues with Italian law, and does so with great humor. A twisted and hilarious story, Divorce Italian Style is one of the more outsized and comedic looks at marriage and relationships on this list.

War Of The Roses

Danny DeVito has directed some fantastic films, and War of the Roses might be his best. This dark and funny 1989 comedy examines the dissolution of a marriage between Oliver and Barbara Rose, played by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner respectively. Rounding out the cast, DeVito plays their lawyer.

While the marriage between the Roses at first seems idyllic, cracks appear quickly and constantly throughout the film's runtime. The story turns into an unsettling war of a divorce that, while often hilarious, is also palpable in its cruelty, making the film a challenge for some to watch.

Still, based on a novel by Warren Adler, The War of the Roses is full of great substance, and is an entertaining, even if sometimes difficult, watch. The story was also recently remade in another strong film, 2025's The Roses.

A Separation

Global cinema has given excellent insight into how marriages and divorces function throughout the world, and A Separation is one of the strongest examples of this. Asghar Farhadi's 2011 Iranian drama was a huge achievement, and even won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Built around family complications, the film sees Simin looking to leave Iran with their daughter in order to find a better life. Meanwhile, her husband wishes to stay, due to his father's medical needs. The film escalates, examining the complexities of family duties, immigration, and Iran's legal system.

A thoughtful film with a great deal to say, A Separation gives a fantastic look at relationships in Iran, and how even the most well-meaning characters can have their intentions corrupted by the machinations of separation.

Possession (1981)

The 1981 horror film Possession, which is itself being remade for 2027, is a fantastic entry in the genre. Sam Neill plays Mark, a spy who returns home only to learn that his wife, Anna, is sleeping with someone else and wishes to file for divorce.

The film leans into the texture of its Cold War setting, and highlights great feelings of alienation.

As a horror film, Possession goes to some interesting places. Director Andrzej Żuławski uses supernatural horrors in the film to express the psychological destruction of a relationship falling apart, as Mark discovers a terrifying creature with some shocking implications for the film's story.

Terrifying and raw all at once, the human story behind Possession is what makes it so strong. A horror with fantastic depth, it is an essential genre watch in the canon of films about divorce.

Kramer Vs. Kramer

Movies about heartbreak are necessarily difficult, but they can also show growth in unexpected ways. The 1979 legal drama Kramer vs. Kramer is a fantastic example of this, built around the separation and eventual divorce of Ted and Joanna Kramer, played by Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, respectively.

The film took an unprecedented look at gender roles, uniquely examining a father's place in caring for his child. When Joanna suddenly decides to leave her marriage, it is up to Ted to stay behind and commit himself to his relationship with his son, giving the child a loving home throughout devastating emotional turmoil.

Giving eyes into a contentious battle for custody, the film shows the ruthlessness that a divorce can bring out between two people who love one another. However, its focus on family helps to make Kramer vs. Kramer one of the best movies of the 1970s.

Stepmom

While not a perfect movie, there is much to enjoy in the 1998 film Stepmom. The film takes a complex eye to changing ideas of what makes up a family, telling the story of two women navigating their place in looking after a pair of children.

Susan Sarandon plays Jackie Harrison, a divorced mother who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. To complicate her life further, as she attempts to co-parent her two children along with her ex-husband, Luke's new girlfriend, Julia Roberts' Isabel, moves in and creates a whole new dynamic within the family.

Balancing ideas about parenting and caretaking, the film takes some surprisingly thoughtful turns, even if it occasionally leans a little saccharine. With great performances at its core, it remains an excellent film.

Is This Thing On?

An unusually interesting look at processing the dissolution of a relationship, Bradley Cooper's Is This Thing On? centers on the dynamics between Will Arnett's Alex and Laura Dern's Tess. Married long ago, and now in their forties, each reckons with the fact that they have given up things for their dynamic and to raise children together.

Their split is not bitter, and the two move on to a new phase in each of their lives. Tess dedicates herself to coaching, while Alex turns to the world of stand-up comedy, which helps to process how he really feels about his life and his relationships.

A complex look at marriage and divorce, Is This Thing On? brings a unique lens to a complicated subject, and creates something that feels both honest and genuinely thoughtful.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Crazy, Stupid, Love is a compelling and smart romantic comedy that is full of fantastic stars. Steve Carell plays the central role of Cal, a middle-aged man whose wife asks him for a divorce. Unprepared for these events, he is helped by Jacob, an attractive and charismatic younger man played by Ryan Gosling, to meet women.

Of course, things quickly get messy. Jacob meets and falls in love with Emma Stone's Hannah, who turns out to be Cal's daughter. The dynamics become confused, and real questions about relationships, lifestyles, and suitability for partnership come to the fore.

Crazy, Stupid, Love confronts some real concerns about attraction, relationships, and showing up for one another. The script is genuinely funny and charming, and the characters are excellent.

Mrs. Doubtfire

One of the strongest movies that defined Robin Williams' career, Mrs. Doubtfire is a fantastic comedy that hinges on a stunningly charismatic performance. The film centers around Daniel Hillard, who, after his wife files for divorce, finds himself losing custody of his children until he is able to find and maintain a steady job.

In response, Daniel launches a scheme that is silly, but full of heart. He disguises himself as Euphegenia Doubtfire and takes on a job in his family home as a nanny. This affords him the opportunity to maintain a relationship with his children while also working a second job at a TV station.

The premise is a bit outsized and silly, but the execution is what makes the movie so strong. Williams balances comedy and real emotion as both Daniel and Mrs. Doubtfire, allowing the heavy subject matter of the film to be even more effective.

The Awful Truth (1937)

A silly, screwball comedy from the 1930s, The Awful Truth is an amusing story about a couple who enter into proceedings for divorce. There is a 90-day waiting period to process it, and in the meantime, each of the two pursues other romantic connections.

Still, neither seems to be able to let go of the other, and is unwilling to see them with anyone else. Cary Grant's Jerry and Irene Dunne's Lucy sabotage each other's new relationships at every turn, resulting in some excellent humor.

The stars had great chemistry, and the film relied heavily on their shared charisma as well as improvisation. It remains one of the best romantic comedies in the history of classic Hollywood.