Comments on: Breakups in fiction

Question: Breakups in fiction

tabulem — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:19:16 -0800

What are some great novels and movies about breakups and divorce?

I'm interested in finding novels and movies that deal with the breakdown of relationships, either marriage or serious relationships. The book/movie can be about the relationship as a whole, but the breakdown should be central to it. Examples would be "Goodbye, Columbus" and "Annie Hall".

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:21:06 -0800

The Ice Storm, directed by Ang Lee

By: loiseau

loiseau — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:23:50 -0800

Kramer vs Kramer
Irreconcilable Differences

By: porpoise

porpoise — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:25:00 -0800

That War of the Roses. The final scene is precious.

By: Listener

Listener — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:34:29 -0800

She-Devil :) revenge movie. :)

By: sarahkeebs

sarahkeebs — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:36:29 -0800

In the spirit of the season, The Ref (although it has a happy ending, pretty darkly funny depiction of a divorcing couple).

By: christinetheslp

christinetheslp — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:38:21 -0800

My husband and I just watched, "The Squid and the Whale" which was pretty interesting. It depicted the childrens' changing relationships with their parents as well as the parents' changing dynamic.

By: kimdog

kimdog — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:39:16 -0800

Seconding She-Devil, but check out the BBC version. Although the Roseanne version has its moments.

Also, The Squid and the Whale.

By: Bromius

Bromius — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:40:21 -0800

Probably the most profound book I've read about a breakup was Graham Greene's The End of the Affair.

I haven't seen the film adaptation, which I hear is pretty good.

By: B-squared

B-squared — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:40:36 -0800

High Fidelity, War of the Roses, Singles, The Royal Tenanbaums(sp?) and The Squid and the Whale all spring to mind. Also Ruthless People, they're not divorced, but they should be!

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:40:41 -0800

Films

-- Scenes from a Marriage
-- Carnal Knowledge (sort of--not really about divorce, but the entirety is about men and women not being able to communicate; one of my all time fave films)

By: B-squared

B-squared — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:42:58 -0800

Oh, and Closer is a devastating look at relationships.

By: sarahkeebs

sarahkeebs — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:45:59 -0800

The Royal Tenenbaums
Mrs. Doubtfire
Secret Window (which is based on a Stephen King story)
First Wives Club of course...

I second B-squared's High Fidelity

By: LoriFLA

LoriFLA — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:46:39 -0800

The Breakup with Jennifer Aniston.

Falling: The Story of One Marriage, by John Taylor isn't fiction, but it reads like it.

By: loiseau

loiseau — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:53:27 -0800

Oh, for literature, Judy Blume's It's Not the End of the World is so so good. It's more about the kids' perspective but I read it again in my late 20s and still found it very relevant and moving.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:57:31 -0800

...Annie Hall was mentioned by the poster.

Radio Flyer
The Parent Trap
An Unmarried Woman

By: Robot Rowboat

Robot Rowboat — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:00:37 -0800

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

By: cottoncandyhammer

cottoncandyhammer — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:01:14 -0800

Kicking self, did not see the examples cited. Maybe 'Intimacy'?

By: dflemingdotorg

dflemingdotorg — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:02:38 -0800

If you want to enter the realm of serious young love and graphic novels, Blankets by Craig Thompson.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:03:14 -0800

My First Wife is a fantastic movie.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:09:54 -0800

"Shoot The Moon".
1982.
Directed by Alan Parker.
Albert Finney, Diane Keaton, Peter Weller, Karen Allen.
Devastating.

By: Inkoate

Inkoate — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:12:52 -0800

I'll second Closer as a particularly harsh look at the disintegration of two intertwined relationships.

By: LoriFLA

LoriFLA — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:14:24 -0800

I should of read the question better. The movie The Breakup is NOT great.

By: Exchequer

Exchequer — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:16:01 -0800

I'll second B-squared on Closer.

And that Natalie Portman performance is worth the price of admission, alone...will definitely make you forget that Rebels vs. Empire hodgepodge.

By: nola

nola — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:28:58 -0800

a lion in winter

who's afraid of virginia wolf

ordinary people

if i think of any others i'll add them.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:29:56 -0800

Intimacy is terrific.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:32:24 -0800

Your Friends and Neighbors.

By: stereo

stereo — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:33:51 -0800

If you like Annie Hall, there's a lot of what's in there in other Woody Allen movies, like Manhattan.

By: CMichaelCook

CMichaelCook — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:37:25 -0800

Heartburn -- both the book by Nora Ephron and the movie starring Meryl Streep -- were well-reviewed at the time (mid-eighties). Can't say how they've aged...

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:40:15 -0800

Husbands & Wives and Celebrity are two other Allen movies that have breakups/divorces at their core. I prefer them both to Annie Hall, personally.

And Roger Dodger isn't about divorce but a breakup propels the all the action of the main character.

By: twistofrhyme

twistofrhyme — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:47:24 -0800

seconding HIGH FIDELITY (both book and movie are great).
seconding THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (film)
seconding BLANKETS (graphic novel)

also:
ONCE WERE WARRIORS (film is better than book)
THE COLOUR PURPLE (alice walker)
SHE'S COME UNDONE (wally lamb)

By: paulsc

paulsc — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:53:18 -0800

Hannah and Her Sisters, and Play It Again, Sam as long as we're mentioning Woody Allen movies. The Way We Were. The Gay Divorcee - 1934 Payment on Demand - 1951. Divorce, Italian Style - 1962. Divorce, American Style - 1967. Divorce His, Divorce Hers -1973 - Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton on divorce. McLintock! - 1963 has some great moments between John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara that illustrate how something good gone wrong can make people crazy. Starting Over - 1979.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:58:38 -0800

Mulholland Drive. In a fucked up way.

By: The Straightener

The Straightener — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 13:00:15 -0800

Some Japanese lit:

Kenzaburo Oe: A Personal Matter
Yasunari Kawabata: Snow Country
Yukio Mishima: After the Banquet

By: Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese

Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 13:05:46 -0800

Tomcat in Love

By: pril

pril — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 13:10:21 -0800

The Dive From Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer.

By: LoriFLA

LoriFLA — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 13:31:35 -0800

Heartburn -- both the book by Nora Ephron and the movie starring Meryl Streep -- were well-reviewed at the time (mid-eighties). Can't say how they've aged...

It has aged fabulously, great movie.

By: HotPatatta

HotPatatta — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 13:46:33 -0800

When Harry Met Sally

By: HotPatatta

HotPatatta — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 13:46:53 -0800

Le Divorce

By: Ugh

Ugh — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 14:00:41 -0800

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind

By: trip and a half

trip and a half — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 14:07:44 -0800

Anna Karenina

By: mkultra

mkultra — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 14:17:30 -0800

Betrayal, by Harold Pinter, is a fantastic play that tells the story of a failed relationship backwards. One of the great pieces of modern theater. It was filmed in 1983, but it's not available.

By: peep

peep — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 14:45:44 -0800

Mystery Ride by Robert Boswell.

By: CwgrlUp

CwgrlUp — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 15:21:26 -0800

Seconding First Wives Club
"Oh and Daddy? I'm a lesbian. A BIG ONE."

By: dhruva

dhruva — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 15:57:05 -0800

Julian Barnes seems to specialize in this. His novels 'Talking it over' and its sequel 'Love etc' both dealt with the end of a relationship. 'Before she met me', also by Barnes, may also fit the bill.

By: ubersturm

ubersturm — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 16:19:44 -0800

I'm hoping I merely missed it, but if no one else suggested it: Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage [Scener ur ett äktenskap]. The original TV version, rather than the edited movie version. A truly great study of the disintegration of a marriage, and what happens after.

By: cholly

cholly — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 16:44:33 -0800

Stepmom!

By: rafter

rafter — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 17:45:05 -0800

We Don't Live Here Anymore is not great, but worth seeing.

The Andre Dubus short stories on which it is based are excellent.

By: chrissyboy

chrissyboy — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 18:02:24 -0800

Chasing Amy (not strictly about a breakup but worth seeing for a different take on the theme. And I love this film).

Similarly, Love & Sex (although I don't love it, it stuck in my mind, you'll know what I mean if you watch it.)

well those were the ones that sprang to mind, anyway.

By: cinemafiend

cinemafiend — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 18:55:12 -0800

Andrzej Zulawski's POSSESSION with Sam Neil & Isabelle Adjani is about a couple going through a divorce and its aftereffects: the onset of madness, döppelgangers as substitute lovers, and features a sccene with Adjani making love to a hideously deformed monster/creature thing...

Perfectly captures the confusion, heartache, terror, and disgust of breaking up...

By: Sticherbeast

Sticherbeast — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 19:10:05 -0800

Seconding Possession. SEE THIS FILM.

By: nicwolff

nicwolff — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 20:02:26 -0800

His Girl Friday and The Philadelphia Story are two of the funniest movies ever made, and although they are utterly different in tone they both star Cary Grant as a divorced rogue who charms his ex-wife into dumping her fiancée to re-marry him instead. (And they were both released in 1940!) They depict the rapprochement but are really about the reasons the two women divorced him in the first place.

By: tabulem

tabulem — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 20:19:06 -0800

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I have some reading and watching to do...

I smiled at the dobbs' citation of "Mulholland Dr", which is one of my favorite movies. I never thought of it as a break-up movie, but yes, I think that's what it is, as I figured out after seeing it about three times...

By: fuse theorem

fuse theorem — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 20:33:51 -0800

The Last Kiss, a 2006 release starring Zach Braff.

And I'll third on Closer.

By: Sassyfras

Sassyfras — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 20:54:28 -0800

Hope Floats

By: Phire

Phire — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 21:45:25 -0800

Thirding High Fidelity, and adding Intolerable Cruelty. interesting, to say the last, if lacking somewhat in execution.

By: limeonaire

limeonaire — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 22:24:01 -0800

Unlikely, a graphic novel by Jeffrey Brown. It tells the tale of how he lost his virginity, and then how he and this woman finally broke up. Excellent and depressing.

By: JPowers

JPowers — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 23:10:16 -0800

"Love on the Run" from François Truffaut.

By: illek

illek — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 23:32:24 -0800

The Story of Us - 1999, starring Michelle Pfeiffer & Bruce Willis

By: theiconoclast31

theiconoclast31 — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 23:53:00 -0800

We read this during my junior year of high school, and it's one of my favorite plays, but it's as much about society as it is about relationships:

The Glass Menagerie (1987)

By: londongeezer

londongeezer — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 03:04:31 -0800

Richard Ford The Sportswriter, Independence Day; Raymond Carver short stories; Anna Karenina as someone pointed out OF COURSE! Graham Greene The End of the Affair & plenty of others.

By: saladin

saladin — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 12:58:32 -0800

Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates.