Top 10 Movie Couples That Don’t End Up Together
I’ll have a few lists coming out over the next couple weeks highlighting some movie couples since Valentine’s Day is on the horizon. We’re going to start off on a super high note here with the top 10 movie couples that don’t end up together. Spoilers ahead for these doomed couples.
Mia (Emma Stone) & Seb (Ryan Gosling), La La Land- The first couple that comes to mind for me for this bill is aspiring actress, Mia & jazz lover, Seb. ‘La La Land’ is considered one of the best films of the 21st century. With an Oscar-nominated performance from Ryan Gosling & Oscar-winning performance from Emma Stone, the two have very good chemistry. Though they don’t end up together, we get to see what could’ve been through a montage of if the two had been able to make it work. Instead Seb gets his jazz club, Mia gets her career & family, and the two just exchange a glance.
Summer (Zooey Deschanel) & Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), 500 Days of Summer- We knew these two wouldn’t work from the get go. In fact, so did Summer. But Tom had hope & tried to make something work that Summer communicated to him from the get go would never happen. Tom is a very flawed protagonist, and though he can’t convince Summer to stay with him, he does end the movie by getting a date with a woman named Autumn. Ohhhhhh, I see what they did there.
Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) & Rose (Kate Winslet), Titanic- This is slightly different circumstances, because well, Jack died. Rose has managed to keep her memory of Jack alive & finally gets to share it shortly before her death. While these two are no doubt a fun couple, I can’t help but feel bad for Rose’s husband when she gets to the afterlife & reunites with a man she knew for like a few days 80 years ago.
Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) & Rick (Humphrey Bogart), Casablanca- As the film progresses we learn about the history between Bergman’s Ilsa & Bogart’s cool, suave Rick. We are led to believe that the two may rekindle their romance, despite the presence of Ilsa’s husband, Victor. Ilsa even tried to stay with Rick, but he makes her stay with her husband while he begins a ‘beautiful friendship’ with Captain Renault.
Elio (Timothée Chalamet) & Oliver (Armie Hammer), Call Me by Your Name- So I’ll admit this relationship is a little problematic due to the age gap & dynamic between the two. Elio is a 17-year old living with his parents Italy & Oliver is a 24-year old grad student coming to help Elio’s father with academic paperwork over the summer. The two bond over the summer, however are forced to go their separate ways at the end of the film.
Bob (Bill Murray) & Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), Lost in Translation- Another couple with a very interesting dynamic, Bob is a washed, married actor going through a midlife crisis while Charlotte is a young college graduate. The two meet and get to know one another in Tokyo, but Bob eventually has to leave. The two embrace, kiss, & Bob whispers something to Charlotte that we will never know.
Cecilia (Keira Knightley) & Robbie (James McAvoy), Atonement- There are some major spoilers from this 2007 film because it has a more twist ending than the rest. Though we initially are led to believe the two live happily ever after is is revealed that this was made up by the narrator (Cecilia’s younger sister Briony, who blames herself for what truly happened). What really happened is that the two both endured premature deaths because of World War II.
Ennis (Heath Ledger) & Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal), Brokeback Mountain- This one is kind of two factor. Ennis & Jack are already forced to go their separate ways because of their families & society, but any chance they had was squashed when Ennis find out that Jack passed away. Both Ledger & Gyllenhaal received Oscar nominations for their performances, and many folks believe. the film should’ve won Best Picture.
Céline (Julie Delpy) & Jesse (Ethan Hawke), Before Sunrise- So this one is technically misplaced here. But that’s only if you take the sequels into account. If you just look at the first film, the two spend a day together and then go their separate ways. And that’s how the film ends. They agree to meet back at the place of their parting in six months, and that’s that.
Rhett (Clark Gable) & Scarlett (Vivien Leigh), Gone with the Wind- This married couple in one of the most financially successful films ever really don’t like each other. Rhett offers to give Scarlett a divorce, but she refuses to be disgraced. The two go through many bad moments that I won’t discuss here. The film ends with Rhett leaving, Scarlett pleading for him to stay, and Rhett telling her he really doesn’t care. I think his exact words are ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a darn.’
