Speaking of May and December -- May-December romances have been integral to the plots of many fine films over the years. For example, who doesn't love the classic pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall? Here are just a few of our favorite films featuring couples with a significant age difference between them.
A British schoolgirl gets an education of a different sort when she sets aside her dreams of attending Oxford after falling for the charms of an older man. Cary Mulligan shines in her breakthrough role as a naive 1960's teen swept off her feet by the equally talented Peter Sarsgaard. The film scored Oscar nominations for Mulligan as Best Actress, Best Picture, and Best Screenplay.
Bill Murray plays an aging American movie star in Tokyo to film a series of cheesy commercials for Japanese television who forms an unusual bond with the lonely, young wife of a visiting photographer (Scarlett Johansson). Murray scored an Oscar nomination for his sensitive portrayal of a conflicted, middle-aged man who wants to do the right thing. The film's director, Sofia Coppola, won an Oscar for her screenplay.
Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt both won Oscars for their lead performances in this sharp comedy written and directed by James L. Brooks. Nicholson plays a cranky, obsessive-compulsive writer of romance novels who forms unlikely friendships with a gay neighbor (Greg Kinnear) and the young, single mother who works as a waitress at his local diner (Hunt).
James Garner and Sally Field star in this charming romantic comedy in which a young divorcee, struggling to support her small son, acquires a small Arizona ranch with the hope of becoming a successful horse trainer. The woman befriends the town's pharmacist, a handsome widower with helpful advice on how to win over the local townspeople, who seem to be against the idea of a female rancher.
Hal Ashby directed this quirky comedy about a wealthy teenager with a death wish who finds love with a 79 year-old woman who is high on life. Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort are outstanding in their roles as the unusual couple, with thoughtful lessons about making the most of our time on earth thrown in for good measure. Tunes by Cat Stevens comprise the wonderful soundtrack.
Iconic performances by Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft are the highlight of this classic Mike Nichols film, in which a recent college graduate becomes involved in a complicated affair with a woman twice his age, only to find himself falling in love with her beautiful daughter. The film boasts a notable soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel, featuring their songs Mrs. Robinson, The Sound of Silence, and Scarborough Faire/Canticle.
Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron -- need we say more? A beautiful French orphan falls in love with a millionaire playboy who, unbeknownst to her, sponsored her college education in the United States. The highlights of the film, of course, are the song and dance numbers choreographed by Astaire -- among them an energetic routine performed to Johnny Mercer's classic song Something's Gotta Give.
Our favorite among the four movies that Bogart and Bacall made together. The chemistry between the pair -- married in real life -- is obvious in this classic film in which Private Detective Philip Marlowe investigates a blackmail case involving the spoiled upper classes. Check out the couple's other films as well: To Have and Have Not (Bacall's film debut), Dark Passage, and Key Largo.
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