Love is not just for the young, as we all know. Hollywood tends to promote movies about people in their 20s and 30s, even though many people experience romantic passion far after the age of 50. According to a 2020 study by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, most big motion pictures only cast women over the age of 50 in supporting roles. Don’t be deceived by these depressing figures. It doesn’t necessarily follow that mature women’s romantic comedies don’t exist just because there aren’t as many of them. Here are the top five choices for movies you can watch with a loved one.
The Notebook (2004)
If you merely take a quick look at The Notebook‘s movie poster, you might think it’s about the 20-something leads Rachel McAdams (who plays Allie) and Ryan Gosling’s (who plays Noah) frenzied 1940s affair. However, the narrative is more complex than that. In the movie, Allie and Noah are portrayed in the current day, many years after they initially met, by an elderly couple (James Garner and Gena Rowlands). He reads her the history of their relationship from the notebook that she wrote in when she was younger since she is losing her memory and no longer recognizes him.
Love Actually (2003)
The ten conflicting narratives in the British Christmas classic, Love Actually, are all rounded out by a sizable and likable ensemble cast. Each of them weaves together and discusses love in some way. The majority of their stories are upbeat, except for one that is significantly more somber. Harry (Alan Rickman) and Karen (Emma Thompson) explore the difficulties of a relationship after so many years together.
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
With Nancy Meyers, whose romantic comedies are warm and feminine in equal measure, you can never go wrong (The Holiday, The Parent Trap, Father of the Bride). This one features Diane Keaton as Erica and Jack Nicholson as Harry, two people in their 60s and 50s who fall in love. Only younger women are dated by Harry, a lothario who once praised the “sweet, uncomplicated delight” of May-December dating.
Away From Her (2006)
Not every love story has a happy ending, and not all of the movies on our list are comedies. As far from a rom-com as you can get, Away From Her tells the touching story of a retired couple whose love is put to the test when the lady starts to suffer from Alzheimer’s and moves into a nursing home. Fiona, played by Julie Christie, voluntarily enters the facility so as not to bother her husband Grant (Gordon Pinsent).
On Golden Pond (1981)
The oldest fictional marriage on our list is portrayed by Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in the Academy Award-winning film On Golden Pond. This ended up being Fonda’s final feature, and the actors were 76 and 74, respectively, when the movie was being made. The story opens with a long-married couple arriving at the lakeside cottage where they’ve enjoyed many happy summers.