Romantic film lists for the couples self-help exercise

bullet waves 11 washed-out red aa-img030_crGood films to use for the relationship deepening exercise

This is the list of films from the movie relationship self-help exercise (explanation and instructions here.)  You can use any other movies, as long as they feature two people sincerely trying to  solve a relationship issue and show the day-to-day dynamics. So pure romcoms, or films about falling in love, are not necessarily suitable.

(1) The 20 most films couples found most useful

You can stream these in many ways. Links  are to Bristol’s very own independent video rental shop , 20th Century Flicks, still open in 2024 though without fixed opening hours.

American beauty ♥ Funny Girl ♥ Before MidnightTwo for the roadObsessedWhen a Man Loves a Woman ♥  Husbands and Wives ♥  The Marriage Chronicles [Not released in the UK]♥  I Give It A Year ♥  Hope Springs ♥  The Way We Were ♥  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ♥  Yours, Mine and Ours ♥  Out of Towners ♥  The Five Year Engagement ♥  Her ♥  Children of a Lesser God ♥  Fools Rush In ♥  Four Christmases ♥  Dying Young ♥

Runners-up:

Marley and MeFather of the brideThis is 40Love StoryCouple’s Retreat ♥  Devil’s AdvocateForget Paris

(2) Full list of movies used in the study

Links here are to IMDB.

American Beauty (1999) Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening

Anger Management (2003) Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler

Autumn in New York (2000) Richard Gere and Winona Ryder

Bee Season (2005) Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche

Before Sunset (2004) Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy

Blue Valentine (2010) Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones

Couples Retreat (2009) Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman

Crooklyn (1994) Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo

Date Night (2010) Steve Carell and Tina Fey

Deliver Us From Eva (2003) Gabrielle Union and LL Cool J

Devil Wears Prada (2006) Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep

Devils Advocate (1997) Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron

Family Man (2000) Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni

Fatal Attraction (1987) Michael Douglas and Glenn Close

Father of the Bride (1991) Steve Martin and Diane Keaton

Fool’s Gold (2008) Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson

Four Christmases (2008) Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn

Her (2013) Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams

Hope Springs Meryl Streen and Tommy Lee Jones

It’s Complicated (2009) Meryl Streep and Steve Martin

Julie & Julia (2009) Amy Adams and Meryl Streep

Jumping the Broom (2011) Paula Patton and Laz Alonso

Just Married (2003) Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy

Life As We Know It (2010) Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel

Longtime Companion (1989) Stephen Caffrey and Patrick Cassidy

Love and Other Drugs (2010) Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway

Marley and Me (2008) Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston

Meet the Fockers (2004) Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro

Monster-in-Law (2005) Jennifer Lopez and Michael Vartan

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2007) Martin Henderson and Jordana Brewster

Obsessed (2009) Beyoncé Knowles and Idris Elba

Something’s Gotta Give (2003) Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton

Surviving Christmas (2004) Ben Affleck and Christina Applegate

Sweet Home Alabama (2002) Reese Witherspoon and Patrick Dempsey

Sweet November (2001) Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron

Terms of Endearment (1983) Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger

The Five-year Engagement (2012) Jason Segel and Emily Blunt

The Back-up Plan (2010) Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin

The Big Wedding (2013) Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton

The Bounty Hunter (2010) Jennifer Aniston and Gerald Butler

The Break-up (2006) Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn

The Campaign (2012) Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis

The Door in the Floor (2004) Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger

The Glass House (2001) Diane Lane and Leelee Sobieski

The Good Girl (2002) Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal

The Horse Whisperer (1998) Robert Redford and Kristin Scott Thomas

The Marriage Chronicles (2012) Jazsmin Lewis and Darrin Dewitt Henson

The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges

The Money Pit (1986) Tom Hanks and Shelley Long

The Notebook (2004) Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams

The Story of Us (1999) Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer

Think Like a Man (2012) Chris Brown and Gabrielle Union

True Lies (1994) Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis

Unfaithful (2002) Richard Gere and Diane Lane

Waiting to Exhale (1995) Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett

Wanderlust (2012) Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd

What Lies Beneath (2000) Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer

When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia

Why Did I Get Married? (2007) Tyler Perry and Janet Jackson

You, Me and Dupre (2006) Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson

(3) Even MORE films suggested by Dr Rogge but not used in the study

A Star Is Born (1954) Judy Garland and James Mason

Adam’s Rib (1949) Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn

Anna Karenina (2012) Keira Knightley and Jude Law

As Good as it Gets (1997) Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt

Barefoot in the Park (1967) Robert Redford and Jane Fonda

Children of a Lesser God (1986) William Hurt and Marlee Matlin

Days of Wine and Roses (1962) Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick

Desk Set (1957) Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn

Dying Young (1991) Julia Roberts and Campbell Scott

Fools Rush In (1997) Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek

Forget Paris (1995) Billy Crystal and Debra Winger

French Twist (1995) Patrick Aubrée and Josiane Balasko

Funny Girl (1968) Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif

Gone With the Wind (1939) Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier

Hanover Street (1979) Harrison Ford and Lesley-Anne Down

Husbands and Wives (1992) Woody Allen and Mia Farrow

Indecent Proposal (1993) Robert Redford and Demi Moore

Jungle Fever (1991) Wesley Snipes and Anna Sciorra

Love Jones (1997) Larenz Tate and Nia Long

Love Story (1970) Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal

Made for Each Other (1939) Carole Lombard and James Stewart

Mississippi Masala (1991) Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury

Move Over, Darling (1963) Doris Day and James Garner

Mr. Blandings Builds his Dreamhouse (1948) Cary Grant and Myrna Loy

My Favorite Wife (1940) Irene Dunne and Cary Grant

Nina Takes a Lover (1994) Laura San Giacomo and Paul Rhys

Nine Months (1995) Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore

On Golden Pond (1981) Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda

Pat and Mike (1952) Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn

Penny Serenade (1941) Cary Grant and Irene Dunne

Phffft [Pfft!] (1954) Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon

Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker (1994) Jing Ning and Gang Wu

She’s Having a Baby (1988) Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern

Steel Magnolias (1989) Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis

Terms of Endearment (1983) Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger

The Devil’s Advocate (1997) Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino

The Egg and I (1947) Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray

The Male Animal (1942) Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland

The Out of Towners (1999) Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn

The Thin Man (1934) William Powell and Myrna Loy

The Way We Were (1973) Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford

Untamed Heart (1993) Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei

When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) Doris Day and Brian Keith

Yours, Mine and Ours (2005) Dennis Quaid and Renne Russo

Relationship counselling and couples therapy resources

I especially like this exercise – it’s creative:

Other resources:

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