Everyone always talks about that one chick flick where boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl get in fight, boy and girl break up, boy and girl profess their love for one another and then live happily ever after. But not many people really talk about the kind of movies where there’s not always a happy ending. Boy and girl are separated by some kind of tragedy, or complications come up in life. Whatever the case may be, these are just my opinions on the top five movies where the lead couple does NOT end up together. (Excluding all those movies where one person in the relationship dies or both of them die.) The title of this article bluntly gives away the ending of all of these movies, but if you still want to watch all these movies not knowing what happens before the breakup, then I suggest stopping reading after this sentence.
5. "Like Crazy" (2011):
Starring: Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones
A truly underrated film. A pre-"Theory of Everything" Felicity Jones and also a pre-Oscar nominee/winner Jennifer Lawrence, who has a small supporting role as the “other girl.” I highly recommend this movie for anyone who wants a good cry and cuddle session with their dog or cat. It's a story about the struggles of long-distance relationships. Anna is a British student, studying at the same college as Jacob, a Los Angeles native, and the two quickly fall in love. However, complications arise when Anna overstays her student visa and is not admitted back into the United States and is shipped back to England. Between traveling back and forth, as well as an on/off relationship over the years, the relationship between Anna and Jacob is sadly hopeless. You root so much for these two because their chemistry and love is so real, but things ultimately don’t work out. The most heartbreaking scene is, hands-down, the ending, when the two reunite for one last time to make things work. Anna is finally admitted back to the U.S. and comes to stay with Jacob for a while. Her and Jacob are just standing in the shower together, kissing and hugging, and you can feel that their spark is no longer there - and flashbacks of their happy memories make it even more tear jerking.
4. "Dear John" (2010):
Starring: Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried
One of my favorite Nicholas Sparks movie because it’s not your typical Nicholas Sparks story. Separated by war and an attempt to make long-distance possible, this was a heart-wrenching story you wanted to have a happy ending but at the same time, almost glad it didn’t. It was meant to be. John and Savannah fell in love over the course of two weeks and connected quickly. Through helping John find himself and nurturing his relationship with his dad, Savannah changed John’s life for the better. To keep in touch, they write letters to one another. Of course, it wasn’t until the events of 9/11 happened that John and Savannah’s story had to once again be put on hold when John decides to re-enlist. A while goes by, they still communicate via snail mail and John ultimately gets a "Dear John" letter from Savannah, saying that she is engaged to someone else and John burns all of the letters she has sent to him prior. Although things look better at the end of the movie when John and Savannah reunite in a coffee shop, ending the movie with a hug, leaving the audience wondering what will happen next.
3. "Casablanca" (1942):
Starring: Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman
Ugh, a classic. How can this movie not be on this list? A man named Rick, who runs an upscale nightclub, and his former lover, Ilsa. Ilsa walks into his bar one night and the two lock eyes once again. You can feel the intensity and love that these two still have for each other. However, she's now the wife of a Czech Resistance leader who are planning on leaving for America soon. Between the drama of World War II and the differences between Rick and Ilsa's husband, Ilsa ultimately chooses to stay with him, even though she is still in love with Rick. Famous quotes come out of this movie such as, "Here's looking at you, kid," and, "We'll always have Paris," that describe the connection between the two lovers in hopes of maybe one day being together again.
2. "500 Days of Summer" (2009):
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel
The narrator confidently says at the beginning of the film, “This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know up front, this is not a love story.” Right there gives you the synopsis of where this movie is headed. It’s also a story about two friends (boy and girl) who hang out together, have sex and pretend like they’re a married couple, buying furniture at IKEA, but never actually add a label onto their relationship. When people are in relationships like that, it almost always never works out (aka friends with benefits). Summer (Deschanel) is a bitch in this movie. Yes, you want to like her because she’s the total opposite of the cliché, typical lead girl in every romantic comedy that is totally in love with the guy, but in the end, she sucks. She’s every man’s worst nightmare for any guy looking for love. Throughout the whole movie, she claims, “Relationships are messy,” and, “I don’t believe in love,” and all that bullsh*t, but at the same time leads Tom (Gordon-Levitt) on into thinking that she wants more and then ends up breaking his heart. But there’s a happy ending for both. Yeah, they don’t end up together. Summer marries someone else and Tom realizes his true passion in love and ends up meeting another girl at the end of the movie, leaving you wondering if she’s the “one” for him.
1. "Annie Hall" (1977):
Starring: Woody Allen and Diane Keaton
A four-time Oscar-winning film and one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time, written by, directed by, and starring none other than the genius that is Woody Allen. The film's about the curiosity Alvy (Allen) has about his failed marriages and relationships throughout his life. He's a neurotic comedian with weird habits, but one specific relationship the movie focuses on is his relationship with Annie Hall (Diane Keaton), an equally neurotic individual. These two are almost perfect for each other. It's so interesting to see how these two live and date, especially with the recurring themes throughout the film: sexuality, love and Jewish identity. Jumping back and forth through the ups and downs of Alvy and Annie's relationship, this movie is a work of art.
Honorable mentions but weren’t actually movies about love: "Cast Away" (2000), "The Help" (2011), "Midnight in Paris" (2011), "Big" (1988) and "John Tucker Must Die" (2006)
