Divorce is common in America and has been for a very, very long time. So needless to say, it's become a ubiquitous theme in the entertainment world. From movies to TV shows, divorce has been talked about, chronicled, and dissected again and again. We don't just see the process of going through a divorce, we see stories depicting what life is like after a marriage ends. It makes sense, too, since most people have entire lives to keep living after their divorces are finalized.
Dealing with the aftermath of divorce is often the most emotionally challenging part of the process. For many people, it can feel isolating and lonely. Others are faced with starting over professionally, romantically, and possibly even having to find all new friends, and nearly every one of these topics has been covered on a TV series or a movie.
All of us want to watch things that we can relate to and that make us feel less alone — it's cathartic. And for a lot of people, it's exactly what they need to help them feel more "normal" after going through such a huge life change. These movies will make you smile and sob, while also reminding you that you too will find a way to move on with your life after your divorce.
'It's Complicated'
Listen, we don't really know how common this is, but it makes sense. In It's Complicated, starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin, a divorced couple ends up reigniting their physical relationship after meeting up at their son's college graduation, despite the fact that he's already remarried. There's a reason people are attracted to each other in person, and it's always possible for those feelings to resurface down the line, making things really, really complicated.
'The First Wives Club'
The cast of the 1996 film The First Wives Club, which stars Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Bette Midler, is so very good at making us like their characters, that we can actually imagine being in their positions. It's about three divorced women who discover that each of their husbands left them for younger women, and together they vow to exact revenge on them.
'How Stella Got Her Groove Back'
A girl can dream, right? In How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Angela Bassett plays an incredibly successful, but recently divorced woman who goes on a luxury vacation to Jamaica to indulge in some much-needed self-care. While there, she sparks a steamy romance with a much younger man. Her libido is reawakened, and she begins to see herself as the gorgeous, sexy woman she once was.
'Stepmom'
Stepmom, starring Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts, is so realistic that it sometimes feels painful to watch. It's about a divorced woman who finds out she's terminally ill, and is now forced to view her ex-husband's much younger fiancée as the woman who will one day be her children's sole mother figure. At points, it's kind of gut-wrenching to watch, but also reassuring.
'Under the Tuscan Sun'
OK, so no, we can't all jet off to Tuscany to heal from a divorce, but Under the Tuscan Sun, starring Diane Lane, is really about the need to start over after a marriage ends. The reality is, sometimes it's going to take some massive changes in order to build and establish a new, more independent and fulfilling life after you've split from your spouse.
'Crazy, Stupid, Love.'
If you want to laugh at yourself (and also cry a little bit), there's no better place to look than an aging and recently divorced guy played by funnyman Steve Carell. This rom-com is about a man who was totally caught off guard when his marriage fell apart, and is now struggling to enter a new and different dating scene.
'Grace and Frankie'
Honestly, we can't imagine this scenario, but it really does happen. In this fantastic sitcom, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, two older women unexpectedly find out that not only are their husbands gay, but that they've been in an intimate relationship with each other for decades. Though they've spent most of their lives being frenemies, the women are now thrust together by their unusual mutual experience and end up forming an incredible bond.
'Hope Floats'
We will literally watch any rom-com starring Sandra Bullock, and Hope Floats is one of her best. It's about a newly divorced woman who moves back to her hometown in an attempt to start over after her best friend goes on live television and confesses that she's been sleeping with her husband. She's met with less-than-enthusiastic reactions by many people she grew up with, but eventually she begins seeing a man. Unfortunately, her young daughter doesn't like him at all.
'Waiting To Exhale'
Girl, we can't even! When Bernie sets that car on fire, she is living out the fantasy of every woman who has ever been wronged by a man. Waiting To Exhale (based on the novel of the same name by author Terry McMillan) actually chronicles the stories of four different Black women. But it's the tale of Bernie — who gave up her career and all of her ambitions to support her husband, only for him to leave her for another woman — that really hits home.
'One Day at a Time'
One Day at a Time is a really good sitcom about a Cuban-American woman who gets divorced and ends up living with her very traditional mom so that she can have support raising her two kids while she works as a nurse. The show perfectly sums up the struggles of a newly single mom who has to rely on others to help her rebuild her life.
'The War of the Roses'
Although technically this one takes place throughout the actual divorce process, it's a classic and absolutely a must-watch. Starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, the film's about a divorcing couple who cannot reach common ground about who gets what in the divorce settlement. A major standoff ensues when both refuse to leave the home they've shared for years.
'Life of the Party'
Melissa McCarthy stars in this movie about a divorced women who decides to return to school and finish her degree so she can pursue the career she always wanted. Only thing is, she's enrolled in the same school as her daughter, and they even share a class! Her daughter isn't crazy about it, and it doesn't help that her mom is trying to fully embrace the campus experience she cut short so many years before.
'The New Adventures of Old Christine'
This sitcom goes back quite a bit, but it really nails the post-divorce experience of so many women. Christine is divorced and struggling to keep up with the demands of her life as a single mom, while still trying to maintain a strong friendship with her ex-husband, who has moved on and jumped into a relationship with a woman who oddly shares her name.
'Enough Said'
Oh, things get really complicated in the movie Enough Said, starring James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. It's the story of a divorced woman who finally finds a man she thinks she can start over with, only to discover that he's actually the ex-husband of a recently acquired friend. Now that's a conundrum, and one that seems utterly plausible.
'Sisters'
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey can do no wrong, and the hilarious film Sisters gives us major FOMO. It's about two sisters — one of whom is recently divorced — who have to clean out their stuff from their parents' house before it's sold, and decide to throw all of their cares aside and invite their former schoolmates over for one last hurrah.
'Marriage Story'
This unflinchingly raw drama chronicles the divorce of a stage director and his actor-wife, who live on different coasts. They struggle to overcome the challenges presented by their decision to split up, which has affected everything from their children to their jobs. Ultimately, though, all they want is to get through it without destroying their family.
'Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'
This show is pretty hilarious! It's about a self-help author who decides to hide the fact that she's separated from her husband because she thinks it will affect her credibility. Only, she doesn't count on how difficult it will be start over without revealing her real relationship status.
'Eat Pray Love'
In theory, it seems like Elizabeth Gilbert's tale of divorce and self-discovery isn't real life, but it totally is. Eat Pray Love is based on the author's memoir, which details how she decided to leave her own marriage to pursue personal fulfillment by discovering who she really is and what she wants from life.
'Bye Bye Love'
Interestingly, the 1995 film Bye Bye Love is told from the perspective of three divorced men, rather than that of women. It recounts the stories of the men as they attempt to navigate their new post-divorce lives and the changes in relationship dynamics they experience not just with their exes and their children, but also with each other and new women.
'Divorce'
The series Divorce, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, and Molly Shannon, tells the story of a middle-aged couple going through a long and difficult divorce. They literally cannot stand each other, which makes for some super funny and beyond awkward situations, just like in real life.
