Usually we watch movies to experience intense moments we’d rather not have to actually live through in our own lives. Sometimes when we’re overcoming a heartbreak or emotional disappointment, we’re comforted by watching a romance disintegrating before us. We achieve a sort of catharsis by observing a fictional character undergoing the worst kind of pain and self-destruction. But are there any movies that include a love to strive for? I’m not talking about the kind of romance that’s so idealized and perfect, where two people don’t mind hurting others as long as their desires are fulfilled. Today we’re talking about couple goals, as in the few times that movies have taught us about being there for your partner, supporting them, but also calling them out when they’re approaching a cliff.
The following couples are far from perfect. In fact, they all have plenty of issues. What sets them apart is the way they connect and communicate these issues, actually trying to improve themselves and their relationship.
Silver Linings Playbook
Pat and Tiffany are going through a lot throughout the whole movie. He’s just been released from a psychiatric facility and is facing the end of his marriage. She is still going through the grief process for the death of her husband. This is hardly the way to start a love story. While other movies might’ve gone the route of showing these two people getting into a torrid and self-destructive affair, the film revolves around their recovery. Tiffany sees Pat beyond his troubles. She even figures out a way to help him without him realizing it. We don’t get to choose when we meet the people we’ll fall in love with. But we can give them time and space while supporting their recovery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ZitHzsS1s
Laggies
What happens when all your friends turn into grown-ups while you still feel stuck somewhere between adolescence and adulthood? What if you can’t move on because you still don’t believe that anyone can truly be happy? Megan is at a crossroads in her life. Yet it’s at this point where she chooses to revert to being a teen that she meets Craig, someone who is also trying to keep his soul young despite all the responsibilities he has. Being an adult doesn’t mean giving up on dreams. It just means finding a way to work through them. We all want someone who can help us grow into the person we want to be while still making us laugh and feel sexy and desired.
Crazy Stupid Love
While this movie deals with different stages and kinds of love, the romance between Hannah and Jacob is perhaps the most endearing. Both of them are looking for a connection. She wants to discover passion. He’s secretly hoping for something other than superficial hookups. Both are carrying their share of pain, and in a surprising moment, they realize that what they need is someone to laugh and talk to. Just because someone does not look like our type at first does not mean that there’s nothing more there. If we allow ourselves to get to know them a little more, we can discover that perhaps they’re not as shallow or uptight as we first thought.
Stuck in Love
This is another movie that includes different layers of love. But for this occasion, we’ll focus on the story of Sam and Lou. When we feel broken by our past and the horrible aspects of life, we often become cynical and disillusioned with the possibility of finding happiness or love. But if we shut ourselves off from the world we might also miss out on the chance of discovering that there’s more than our own pain. An important part of growing up is realizing that our parents are only human, and that we do not need to fall in their footsteps. These two have ups and downs but support each other, even in ways that they don’t fully understand at first.
Watching a sad movie or a love in decay can be a great experience to understand the process of falling out of love or using it as a crutch to avoid working on our problems. But sometimes, we need to see two people work through their problems together. We need to believe that there is more than just snarkiness and sarcasm. Our catharsis can be learning to trust our instincts and allowing others to enter into our lives.
Check out these:
10 Foreign Films That Will Widen Your Horizons
7 Indie Short Films That Prove Love Messes With Our Minds
