Film Recommendations for Couples

As a marriage counselor, I often provide Cinema Therapy film recommendations as an adjunct to our work together.

Couples have often commented that they find that the work they do outside of counseling to be catalyst for further discussion at home and during our sessions.

Of course, my film recommendations movies are intended to be in addition to couples counseling, as opposed to a replacement for it. Although I’ve watched all the films listed below, I am not necessarily in agreement with all aspects of them.

The following films can be purchased online at Amazon.com or from local San Jose and San Francisco area book and video stores. Most of them can also be rented or streamed at Amazon.com of Netflix.

• As Good As It Gets. Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear. Director: James L. Brooks, 1997.
• Copy Cat. Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney. Director: Jon Amiel, 1995.
• House Of Games. Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna. Director: David Mamet, 1987.
• The Odd Couple. Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau. Director: Gene Saks, 1968.
• Pelican Brief. Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington. Director: Alan J. Pakula, 1993.
• Fried Green Tomatoes. Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker. Director: Jon Avnet, 1991.
• About Last Night. Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, James Belushi. Director: Edward Zwick, 1986.
• Gaslight. Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotton. Director: Thorold Dickinson, 1944.
• In America. Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine. Director: Jim Sheridan, 2002.
• Life Is Beautiful. Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi. Director: Roberto Benigni, 1998.
• St. Elmo’s Fire. Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore. Director: Joel Schumacher, 1985.
• Mirror Has Two Faces, The. Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges. Director: Barbra Streisand, 1996.
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan. Director: Joel Zwick, 2001.
• Ordinary People. Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton. Director: Robert Redford, 1980.