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Marriage Friendly Movies

The Notebook — with Ryan Gosling. A wonderful movie about a man whose wife has Alzheimer’s and his undying patience with her as he remembers their shared history and loves her through it. 

The Incredibles — A delightful story where the superheroes work together to raise their family and save the world at the same time. 

Fireproof — A powerful movie about the importance of prayer and spirituality in marriage. Wonderful images of kindness, shunning adultery and choosing to be true to your commitment.

Arranged — This tender movie portrays the contrast between cultures where marriage is strongly supported and guided through parental and religious traditions, with the contemporary trend of “anything goes”. It is a delightful picture of two girls who love and honor marriage, family and religion and still want to marry the man of their dreams.

Courageous — Made by the congregation that created Fireproof this landmark film honors fathers and their contribution to marriage.

It’s a Wonderful Life — StarringJames Stewart and Donna Reed, this is a timeless movie about how a woman is her husband’s faithful companion through life’s trials, and his joy at rediscovering all they are blessed with.

Friendly Persuasion — A sweet movie about a Quaker couple who struggle to keep their own individual dreams while still honoring their couplehood. They face the pain of reconciling their ideals in an unideal world.

Yours, Mine and Ours — Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo take on the roles made famous by Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball in this remake of the 1968 comedy about two single parents who plan to marry and merge their broods into one “happy” family.

Swiss Family Robinson — This family works together to survive being stranded on an island.Their marriage is healthy ans sweet.

For Richer or Poorer — New York society couple Brad (Tim Allen) and Caroline (Kirstie Alley) Sexton find themselves targets of an IRS investigation. Running from the law, they discover a safe haven in the Amish community of Intercourse, Pa. Posing as long—lost relatives of local farmer Samuel Yoder, the Sextons must give up their glamorous ways in order to escape the IRS.

Guess Who’s Coming for Dinner — Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn star as wealthy Californians who consider themselves progressive — until their daughter brings home her black fiancé, Sidney Poitier. Produced in 1967, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner took on pointed subject matter (for its time). Watching Tracy’s and Hepburn’s characters struggle with prejudices they didn’t know they had is a powerful metaphor for a society’s long—overdue awakening.

The Story of Us — A wonderful story of a couple that gets stale and wonders if they are meant to stay together. But in the end she gives an impassioned speech about how they are “Us” and have a shared history that is precious.

Random Harvest — The girl who falls in love with and marries the man with amnesia…stays true to him even when he ‘regains’ his old memory, and loses the period in which they were married.  Later they meet again….and it’s a neat commentary on the idea that there might be JUST ONE right person ‘out there’.

Regarding Henry — Harrison Ford starts out as a merciless, arrogant lawyer; is shot, suffers severe brain damage, and has to re-learn everything. His wife and daughter help him all along the way, and it turns out great, with an interesting turn of events.

The Quiet Man — John Wayne hangs up his spurs to star as a bachelor ex-boxer in this well-loved classic. Back in his native Ireland, the Duke’s thoughts turn to domestic tranquility after courting Maureen O’Hara

Return to Me — A beautiful story about falling in love that includes a sister whose marriage is healthy and playful.

The Thin Man Movies — This isone of the most successful detective serials in film history, introduces stylish sleuthing spouses Nick (William Powell) and Nora Charles (Myrna Loy). Powell and Loy’s quick-witted repartee set a Hollywood tradition in their debut as they investigate the disappearance of a wealthy inventor.

Apollo 13 — This one does a good job with marriage as well, even if there is one unsavory bachelor.

Lady Jane — This is a great love story about a very short lived marriage.

The Family Man — Nicholas Cage portrays a man caught between family life, as messy and crazy as it is,  and the emptiness of endless money all alone.
Lorenzo’s Oil — Susan Sarandon stars in a wonderful true depiction of a family that works together to find a cure for their son’s disease.

Searching For Bobby Fisher — This deals well with healthy marriages under stress.

The River — Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek are a couple struggling to safeguard their farm from devastating floodwaters and repossession. With the local power authority ready to snatch up their failing farm, the pressure rises, they dig in with steely resolve to save their way of life.

Raisin In The Sun — This movie recounts the dilemma of whether to spend inheritance money on a seemingly sure bet of buying a bar, or buying a house in a nice neighborhood in contrast to the cramped quarters the extended family finds themselves in now. 

Sweet Land — It recounts the story of an immigrant bride trying to marry a farmer in Minnesota, but being unfairly treated because of her German heritage shortly after the war with Hitler. After trying more than once the traditional way, and after some time has passed the couple determines that they’re committed before God if not before man, and that that’s more than enough.

Smilin’ Through — The more the man does what is right the more he hears his wife’s voice.  The more he is selfish and bitter the less he can hear her. 

Shall We Dance? — A warm movie about a couple that has slid into old patterns that lack a sense of fun, so he starts to learn ballroom dancing. He is attracted to the woman who teaches him but he clearly shuns adultery and loves his wife through it all.

When a Man Loves a Woman — This is a hard but powerful story about a woman who is an alcoholic and undergoes treatment to get sober. Her husband loves her through the painful process and readjusts to her life of 12 steps to regain sanity.

Beautiful Mind — Painful depiction of the struggle of mental illness and how it puts enormous stress on a marriage, and yet they make it to a wonderful conclusion.

Please Don’t Eat the Daisies — Doris Day and David Niven star in a story about a warm and playful family that moves to the country and discovers that slowing down is ok.

Victoria and Albert — The film is about Queen Victoria’s reign. There is a lot about their marriage and how tough it is for him to be married to the queen of England.

The Scarlet Pimpernel The plot is about the French Revolution, but they have marriage problems and need to work a lot on communication.

Fiddler on the Roof — It is about family, struggle and traditions. It portrays how through it all the father and mother realize they love each other.

Amazing Grace — It is about William Wilberforce and the abolition of the slave trade. It’s because of his wife that he carries through with getting it abolished.

A Man Called Peter — Based on a true story, this drama centers on young Scotsman Peter Marshall, who heeds his “calling” from God to be a minister. Marshall leaves Scotland and travels to America, where he lands the position of pastor of the Church of the Presidents in Washington, D.C., on his way to becoming chaplain of the U.S. Senate.