List Rules Films about break ups, divorces, and even splits between friends
There’s almost nothing that will make you feel better about being dumped or being, well single than watching a great movie about breaking up. Let’s face it – some of the movies on this list are great, but won’t go down in history as being the best of all time; others have actually become classics in the film industry. In any case, they're all about characters going through a break up.
The movies that are featured on this list span multiple genres – some are inspiring, some are completely dramatic, others are emotionally devastating, and the rest are comedies (though some are funnier than others).
This list has the best movies about breakups, including: Breaking Upwards, Annie Hall, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sliding Doors, Great Expectations, and High Fidelity.
Vote up your favorite movie below, vote down the film you wish you could break up with, or add a favorite that isn't already on the list.
list ordered by
1
176 41
Forgetting Sarah MarshallMila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Russell Brand Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand. The film, which was ...more
2
129 53
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindKate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Carrey Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American romantic science-fiction comedy-drama film about an estranged couple who have each other erased from their memories, written by Charlie ...more
3
153 71
The Wedding SingerDrew Barrymore, Adam Sandler, Steve Buscemi The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress ...more
4
103 60
(500) Days of SummerZooey Deschanel, Minka Kelly, Chloë Grace Moretz "The freshness of Marc Webb’s love-me/love-me-not love story is epitomized by its perfectly framed tag lines…Boy meets Girl—Boy falls in love—Girl doesn’t. What else can you say about a ...more
5
101 67
The Break-UpJennifer Aniston, Ann-Margret, Vince Vaughn The Break-Up is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. It was written by Jay Lavender and Jeremy Garelick and produced by ...more
6
73 50
Chasing AmyBen Affleck, Matt Damon, Kevin Smith Chasing Amy is a 1997 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith. The central tension revolves around sexuality, sexual history, and evolving friendships. It is the third ...more
7
56 44
Kramer vs. KramerMeryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, JoBeth Williams Kramer vs. Kramer is a 1979 American drama film adapted by Robert Benton from the novel by Avery Corman, and directed by Benton. The film tells the story of a married couple's divorce and its ...more
8
61 50
High FidelityCatherine Zeta-Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Jack Black High Fidelity is a 2000 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack and Iben Hjejle. The film is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick ...more
9
72 65
The War of the RosesKathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Michael Douglas The War of the Roses is a 1989 American black comedy film based upon the 1981 novel The War of the Roses by Warren Adler. The film follows a wealthy couple with a seemingly perfect marriage. ...more
10
46 51
Annie HallWoody Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Walken Annie Hall is a 1977 American romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay he co-wrote with Marshall Brickman. Produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe, the film stars Allen as ...more
11
43 51
SwingersHeather Graham, Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau filmography Swingers is a 1996 comedy-drama film about the lives of single, unemployed actors living on the 'eastside' of Hollywood, California during the 1990s swing revival. Written by Jon Favreau and ...more
12
42 53
CloserNatalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law Closer is a 2004 romantic drama film written by Patrick Marber, based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name. The movie was produced and directed by Mike Nichols and stars Julia ...more
Tom Islava added Midnight in ParisRachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hiddleston Midnight in Paris is an American 2011 romantic comedy fantasy film written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender, a screenwriter, who is forced to confront the ...more
14
36 55
She-DevilMeryl Streep, Roseanne Barr, Linda Hunt She-Devil is a 1989 American dark comedy film directed by Susan Seidelman and written by Barry Strugatz and Mark R. Burns. It stars Meryl Streep, Ed Begley, Jr. and Roseanne Barr in her film ...more
15
2 0
Tom Islava added The Odd CoupleJack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Herb Edelman The Odd Couple is a 1968 American black comedy film written by Neil Simon, based on his play The Odd Couple, directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. It is the story ...more
16
2 2
Anjelica Pappin added Blue JasmineCate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K. Blue Jasmine is a 2013 American dark comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It tells the story of a rich Manhattan socialite who falls into hard times and has to move in to her ...more
17
32 53
The Way We WereBarbra Streisand, Robert Redford, James Woods The Way We Were is a 1973 American romantic drama film, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, and directed by Sydney Pollack. The screenplay by Arthur Laurents was based on his college ...more
zoe-krainik added The DivorceeNorma Shearer, Ethel Barrymore, Robert Montgomery The Divorcee is a 1930 American Pre-Code drama film written by Nick Grindé, John Meehan and Zelda Sears, based on the novel Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott. It was directed by Robert Z. ...more
19
1 1
The LoversDebra Winger, Tracy Letts, Aidan Gillen The Lovers is a 2017 comedy romance film directed by Azazel Jacobs. A married couple (Debra Winger and Tracy Letts) looking to get divorced finds themselves unexpectedly falling in love again.
20
31 52
Great ExpectationsGwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro, Ethan Hawke Great Expectations is a 1998 contemporary film adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth ...more
21
31 53
Wuthering HeightsLaurence Olivier, David Niven, Merle Oberon Wuthering Heights is a 1939 American black-and-white film directed by William Wyler and produced by Samuel Goldwyn. It is based on the novel, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. The film ...more
22
24 49
The Story of UsMichelle Pfeiffer, Bruce Willis, Betty White The Story of Us is a 1999 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple married for 15 years. The depiction of the ...more
Sliding DoorsGwyneth Paltrow, Jeanne Tripplehorn, John Hannah Sliding Doors is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, while also featuring John Lynch, Jeanne ...more
24
21 48
Broadcast NewsJack Nicholson, John Cusack, Holly Hunter Broadcast News is a 1987 romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by James L. Brooks. The film concerns a virtuoso television news producer, who has daily emotional breakdowns, ...more
25
19 45
The Upside of AngerEvan Rachel Wood, Kevin Costner, Keri Russell The Upside of Anger is a 2005 American romantic comedy and drama film written and directed by Mike Binder and set in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It stars Joan Allen, Kevin Costner and Evan ...more
26
13 45
An Unmarried WomanJill Clayburgh, Alan Bates, Kelly Bishop An Unmarried Woman is a 1978 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Mazursky, and starring Jill Clayburgh. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and ...more
27
13 46
The Squid and the WhaleAnna Paquin, Alexandra Daddario, Laura Linney The Squid and the Whale is a 2005 American arthouse comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach and produced by Wes Anderson. It tells the semi-autobiographical story of two boys in ...more
28
8 47
HeartburnJack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Kevin Spacey Heartburn is a 1986 American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and starring Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Stockard Channing, Jeff Daniels and Miloš Forman. The screenplay by Nora Ephron ...more
29
6 43
All the Real GirlsZooey Deschanel, Patricia Clarkson, Danny McBride All the Real Girls is a 2003 American romantic drama film written and directed by David Gordon Green and is about the romance between a young, small-town womanizer and his best friend’s sexually ...more
30
3 48
Rid of MeTheresa Russell, Art Alexakis, Storm Large Rid of Me is a 2011 comedy film written and directed by James Westby.
31
0 47
Breaking UpwardsOlivia Thirlby, Andrea Martin, Pablo Schreiber Breaking Upwards is a 2009 American romance film by Daryl Wein with Zoe Lister-Jones, Peter Duchan and Sheena Lister. It explores a young, real-life New York couple battling codependency who ...more
