Ticket To Paradise And 9 Other Romantic Comedies About Divorced Couples

Ticket to Paradise’s release on Oct. 21, 2022 earned generally favorable reviews. George Clooney and Julia Roberts’ feature film has made it a point to focus on their characters’ being divorced, which is an unusual but not unheard-of premise for a romantic comedy.

There are several other films that center around either divorced characters or couples who are otherwise separated. These range from ensemble efforts such as Crazy, Stupid, Love to more character-driven movies such as Celeste and Jesse Forever. While Ticket to Paradise will delight fans of the genre, it’s worth looking into how other movies have taken a spin on this story template.

Ticket To Paradise (2022)

Will Be Available To Stream On Peacock

Viewers will be in the mood to watch more romantic comedies after Ticket to Paradise due to its feel-good premise. The film has a simple story of a divorced couple reuniting for their daughter’s wedding, only with the intention of causing a separation from her soon-to-be husband.

Ticket to Paradise’s main appeal comes from the pairing of George Clooney and Julia Roberts, as the seasoned actors haven’t missed a beat. The scenic setting of Bali provides a gorgeous backdrop for viewers to be immersed in, with the predictable but heartwarming prospect of watching the divorced duo reignite their feelings for one another.

Celeste And Jesse Forever (2012)

Stream On The Roku Channel

Celeste and Jesse Forever’s entire story takes place during the divorce proceedings of the titular couple. After Celeste asks to separate due to Jesse’s immaturity, she comes to regret it and tries to get back together with him while he decides to move on.

Celeste and Jesse Forever’s comedic moments generally take place in the first half of the movie before it grows into a more mature representation of how people behave by the end of their marriage. It’s simultaneously a light and touching story about love that generally falls under romantic films that many haven’t heard of.

Mr. Wonderful (1993)

Rent On Prime Apple TV, Prime Video or Vudu

Mr. Wonderful follows Gus, who wants to stop paying alimony to his ex-wife Leonora and decides to come up with ways to match her up with someone she might marry. As it goes with rom-coms, this process ends up making the lead duo fall in love instead.

Mr. Wonderful has all the classic rom-com tools, including a couple with opposite personalities, a comedy of errors, and an uplifting reunion in the end. While it might not be the most realistic, it’s a good way to see why divorced couples were attracted to each other in the first place.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Stream On HBO Max Or Netflix

There are many likable characters to follow in Crazy, Stupid, Love, which is an ensemble movie about various characters’ stories intertwining. At the heart of it, the film is about the divorce of Cal and Emily Weaver, whose separation leads to Cal befriending a young womanizer who helps him win dates.

Crazy, Stupid, Love spirals into a comedy where miscommunication ends up causing a ruckus among all characters involved. Cal and Emily’s lingering feelings for one another despite their new dating exploits keep the focus primarily on them.

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Rent On Prime Apple TV, Prime Video, Redbox or Vudu

Definitely, Maybe takes on the framing device of Will telling his daughter the story of how he met her mother, which is actually his way of letting her come to terms with their divorce. The story details Will’s love stories with three women in his past, one of whom is his ex-wife.

Definitely, Maybe takes a lighthearted approach to an otherwise dramatic story of how Will gains and loses the love of his romantic interests before his daughter figures out which one he truly wanted to be with. Despite its rom-com setting, the film has a surprisingly realistic when it comes to the divorce aspect.

Troop Beverly Hills (1987)

Stream On Paramount+

Troop Beverly Hills falls more on the comedy side of things with some romance sprinkled in between and in the end. It’s about soon-to-be-divorced housewife Phyllis, who becomes the den mother to her daughter’s wilderness group to prove to her estranged husband Freddy that she can be responsible.

The exes ultimately become close when Freddy realizes he was wrong to judge Phyllis, with his contrition leading to the repairing of their relationship. Troop Beverly Hills primary outline is about Phyllis’ hilarious pratfalls with her daughter’s group before she comes into her own.

Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)

Stream On BET+

Diary of a Mad Black Woman was the first of Tyler Perry’s many productions, along with serving as the debut for the popular Madea character. The film is about Madea’s granddaughter Helen, whose husband leaves her for his mistress, which sets Helen on the path to discovering her self-worth.

Helen’s actual love interest is Orlando, a man she meets after moving in with Madea while getting her revenge on her ex-husband when things take a turn for the worse for him after numerous accidents. Diary of a Mad Black Woman has quite a lot of drama involved, but Madea’s presence ensures there are many laughs as well.

It’s Complicated (2009)

Stream On Peacock

It’s Complicated takes a twist in the affair story formula, with main characters Jane and Jake engaging in one years after the latter left her for another woman. The divorced pair try to hide their illicit activities from their children while Jane begins an uncertain romance with another man.

It’s Complicated goes for big laughs over nuances about the affair in question, which fits the romantic comedy nature of the film. Viewers will find humor in the lead characters’ wildly obvious attempts to keep their secret while anticipating how it will all come crashing down.

Enough Said (2013)

Rent On Prime Apple TV, Prime Video, Redbox or Vudu

Enough Said subverts the usual outline of a rom-com about divorced couples to focus on a character stuck in the middle of such a pair. Protagonist Eva begins a relationship with Albert at the same time she befriends Marianne, only to learn that they used to be married.

Eva’s decision to learn why Marianne divorced Albert to avoid making the same mistakes while concealing the fact that she knows both of them is the main plotline. Enough Said benefits from the charming leads who all managed to come across as likable characters even though Eva does mess around with Albert and Marianne’s broken marriage.

The Parent Trap (1998)

Stream On Disney+

The Parent Trap’s romantic comedy material comes from Lindsay Lohan’s breakout role as twins Annie and Hallie, who meet at camp and realize they’re twins whose parents divorced and kept one daughter – the sisters swap places to convince their parents to get back together.

The Parent Trap still holds up two decades later for its simple and heartwarming premise, as Annie and Hallie successfully manage to reignite their parents’ relationship who realize they’d given up far too soon. It remains one of the most feel-good films out there, with comedy and romance in equal measures.

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