Love is something people fall in at any age. Romantic love between middle aged couples is rich and mature because they know exactly what they want. Furthermore, they are mature enough to deal with each other’s baggage and complications. Films about older couples falling in love is a great reminder that it’s never too late to fall in love. It’s possible to find that person at any age. This article discusses seven great films about older couples.

These classic movies include Grumpy Old Men (1993), As Good as Its Gets (1997), Somethings Got to Give (2003), It’s complicated (2009), Shirley Valentine (1989), Away from her (2006), and Desk Set (1957).

1. Grumpy Old Men (1993)

This classic movie is an American romantic comedy directed by Donald Petrie. The film stars Jack Lemmon, Ann-Margret and Walter Matthau as the main characters. Supporting stars in the film include Daryl Hannah, Ossie Davis, Kevin Pollak, Burgess Meredith, and Buck Henry. Mark Steven Johnson wrote the scripts for Grumpy Old Men (1993) and the sequel Grumpier Old Men (1995).

The movie is about a retired high school history teacher called John Gustafson (Lemmon) and a TV technician named Max Goldman (Matthau). The two are childhood friends turned rivals living in Wabasha, Minnesota. The feud between them started shortly after finishing high school when John married May, Max’s high school sweetheart. May and John had two children. A son Brian, who was killed in Vietnam and a daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah).

After twenty years, John and May divorced because of May’s infidelity. John continually tells Max that he was unhappy with his marriage to May. On the contrary, Max says that he is happy with his marriage and would not have married anybody else. Max was married to a woman named Amy and together they had a son, Jacob (Kevin Pollak). Jacob later becomes the Mayor of Wabasha.

2. As Good as It Gets (1997)

This American romantic comedy is directed by James L.  Brooks who co-wrote the script with Mark Andrus. The main stars in the film include Jack Nicholson (Melvin Udall), a novelist with obsessive compulsive disorder; Helen Hunt (Carol Connelly), a single mother with a terminally ill son; and Greg Kinnear (Simon Bishop), a gay guitarist. Hunt and Nicholson won the Academy Award for the Best Actress and Actor respectively.

This made the film the most recent movie to win both the best male and female actors awards. The Silence of the Lamb in 1991 was the last movie to win both of the lead actor awards. As Good as It Gets was ranked 140^th on the Empire magazine that ranked 500 greatest movies of all time.

The film is about Melvin Udall, an antisocial romance novelist. He lives in New York City and suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. This prevents him from walking on cracked sidewalks while strolling around the city. Melvin also takes his breakfast in the same restaurant every day. He takes a keen interest on Carol Connelly, a waitress at the restaurant who tolerates his rude behavior.

On one fateful day, Simon Bishop, a gay guitarist and Melvin’s neighbor is attacked and almost killed during a botched robbery, and through a series of events, everyone's life is forever changed.

3. Somethings Got to Give (2003)

Something Got to Give (2003) is an American romantic comedy written and directed by Nancy Meyers. The main stars in the movie are Diane Keaton (Erica Barry) and Jack Nicholson (Harry Sandborn) who are successful people in their 50s and 60s. Harry and Erica fall in lover later in life despite having different personalities. Co-stars in the film include Amanda Peet (Marin Klein) and Keanu Reeves. Supporting actors include Paul Michael Glaser, France McDormand, KaDee Strickland, and Jon Favreau.

The movie received praises from the fans and critics, and became a box office hit after it was released in the U.S. Keaton won a Globe Award, a Satellite Award and received an Oscar nomination. The movie is based on the story of Harry Sanborn who is a wealthy music mogul based in New York. Harry had a habit of dating young women under 40, including Marin Klein, his latest partner.

They visit Marin’s mother beach house at Hamptons where they expected to be alone. However, they’re surprised to find Marin’s mother at the house with her sister. After having an awkward dinner together, Harry is rushed to the hospital for a heart attack that he has during foreplay. 

4. It’s Complicated (2009)

This film is an American romantic comedy written and directed by Nancy Meyers. The main star in the movie is Meryl Streep (Jane Adler) who stars as a successful owner of a bakery. She is a single mother of three who begins a secret affair with a former husband. Alec Baldwin (Jake Adler) plays Nancy’s former husband. After divorcing for ten years, the couple are caught secretly dating. At the same time, Nancy is attracted an architect, Steve Martin (Adam Schaffer).

The notable supporting stars in the movie includes Hunter Parrish, Lake Bell, Zoe Kazan, Mary Kay Place, Zoe Kazan, and Robert Curtis Brown. The film received lukewarm reviews from the fans and critics. The plot was declared predictable, but the performance of the lead actors exceptional.

The cast received the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for the best ensemble cast of the year. Furthermore, the movie was nominated for the Satellite and the Critic’s Choice Awards. The movie also received nominations for two Meyers Golden Globe awards. These included nomination for the Best Screenplay and the Best Motion Picture.

5. Shirley Valentine (1989)

Shirley Valentine is a British comedy drama directed by Lewis Gilbert. The award-winning movie was produced in 1989 and based on a play written by Willy Russel in 1986. In the one-character play, Shirley Valentine goes through unexpected self-discovery. This brings back her childhood dreams and the love of life that she had in her youth.

The main character Shirley Valentine is a 42-year-old bored housewife. The exciting marriage she initially had is now dilapidated and unsatisfying. This makes Shirley focus on the few good friends she has and accomplishing childhood dreams. Her rich friends Jane (Alison Steadman) win a trip for two to Greece and Shirley joins her. Shirley joins Jane, but with so doubts. She proceeds with the trip to the encouragement from Gillian (Julia McKenzie) her neighbor and Marjorie (Joanna Lumley).

Gillian drops her outwardly superior attitude towards Shirley and offers her emotional support. Marjories then confesses that she was envious of Shirley in high school because she was rebellious. She also reveals that she is a high-class prostitute and not a prestigious air hostess as people think. Along the way Shirley finds contentment in her new life.  The film received favorable reviews from critics and even won a few awards.

6. Away from Her (2006)

Away from Her is a Canadian drama released in 2006. Sarah Polley wrote and directed the film. The main stars in the film include Julie Christie (Fiona Anderson) and Gordon Pinsent (Grant Anderson). Supporting stars include Michael Murphy, Olympia Dukakis, Wendy Crewson, Kristen Thomson, and Alberta Watson. The movie is based on a short story called “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” by Alice Munro.

The plot of the film is based on a story of a couple that undergo trying times. In the movie, the wife begins to develop Alzheimer, and she is moved to a nursing home. She loses her memory of her husband and begins to develop a close relationship with one of the attendants.

Away from Home debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival. The film received positive reviews with the critics praising July Christie for her performance and Sarah Polley for the script and direction. The film also received two Academy Awards nominations for the best adapted screenplay and the best actress. The movie won seven Genie Awards including one for the best motion picture.   

7. Desk Set (1957)

Desk Set is an American romantic comedy released in 1957, directed by Walter Lang. The film was published in the UK as “His Other Woman.” The main stars in the film include Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron co-wrote the script based on the 1955 play by William Marchant.

The movie is about Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn), a reference library manager at the Federal Broadcasting Network in Midtown, Manhattan. She is responsible for researching and answering questions on all manner of topics. For seven years, Watson has been dating arising executive at the network called Mike Cutler (Gig Young) with no hope for marriage.

The broadcasting network plans for a merger with another company. In preparation a software engineer called Richard Summer (Spencer Tracy) is brought in. After chatting with Watson, Richard take an interest because he feels that Watson is his match. When the film was released in 1957, the critics didn’t give it a positive review. However, reviews from current sources have praised the film, especially the plot/script.

If you have read through, those are the seven great films about older couples. They’re fun and entertaining to watch because they’re a mixture of comedy and romance.

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