“Until death do us part.” The well-known marriage vow, taken to its logical end and strictly adhered to, means that any marriage will eventually end with a widow or widower unless you exit this mortal spiral at the same time as this is inevitable, and arguably more difficult than divorce.
For most people, the prospect of widowhood is a grim possibility and one that can often prove unbearable. For the past century, cinema has captured widows and widowers through film in emotional, funny, evocative, tragic, existential and sometimes downright depressing scenarios. There have been some brilliant films made that have highlighted or touched on the life of a widow or widower, so let’s take a look at the best…
8/8 About Schmidt
Jack Nicholson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of OAP (retired old age) Warren Schmidt, a recently retired insurance broker in About Schmidt.
After his wife’s untimely and tragic death, their dream of traveling in their new RV is shattered and Warren is left alone, depressed and without any sense of self. This is a funny yet sad depiction of life after love, and how retirement can be harder than expected. It also has one of the most beautiful yet simple endings of the last few decades.
7/8 I, Daniel Blake
In the gritty Palme d’Or winning legendary director Ken Loach I, Daniel Blake, Dave Johns plays the titular heart attack survivor. Daniel is trapped in a perpetual nightmare where he is told that he is physically unable to work, yet ineligible for benefits. Daniel’s impoverished struggle inspires him to take action against a flawed government system that lacks compassion and seemingly flouts its basic duty of care. After the loss of his beloved wife, Daniel searches for ways to make sense of his existence.
6/8 widows
widows is a film about female empowerment and fearlessness after loss. Starring Viola Davis as Veronica Rawlings, the Steve McQueen-directed film follows a group of bereaved women. After their husbands die in a police fight after a botched robbery, the widows try to pull off the same robbery their dead partners couldn’t pull off. Featuring a stellar ensemble, including Liam Neeson, Michelle Rodriguez, Daniel Kaluuya, Elizabeth Debicki and Colin Farrell, this is a superbly acted piece of cinema.
5/8 The outlaw Josey Welles
by Clint Eastwood The outlaw Josey Wales is the 1976 film adaptation of author Forrest Carter’s novel, went to Texas. Directed by and starring Eastwood, the Western is a story of retribution, set in motion after a group of Jayhawkers kill Josey’s wife and son. Wales teams up with Confederate soldiers and plots to bring down those who killed his family, but things don’t quite go as planned…
4/8 Captain fantastic
A midlife crisis is buying a sports car, finding a girlfriend twenty years younger and reinventing your wardrobe, but the father of six, Ben (Viggo Mortensen), turns that theory on its head. Captain fantastic. After his wife and the mother of his children die of a terminal illness, Ben takes drastic action by driving his young family from their home and into the wilderness, where they are exposed to the elements. The family has learned to be one with nature and how to survive in the wild, away from the pressures, toxicity and problems of modern society.
3/8 Upwards
This is undeniably one of Disney’s best stand-alone movies. Animation from 2009 Upwards is a heartwarming, wholesome and graphically vibrant photo. It centers on elderly widower Carl Fredricksen who, along with his wife, has had a lifelong dream to visit the famously picturesque Paradise Falls, with his wife tragically dying before they could go.
Upwards presents the story of an unlikely friendship between the disgruntled Carl and the young, precocious and enthusiastic cub scout Russell. Carl’s house, with Russell in tow, accidentally flies off while being swept away by hundreds of helium balloons, and so begins the couple’s adventure.
2/8 The descendants
Spoiler alert! Whether it’s jovially handsome in a comedy-drama by the Coen brothers, or playing the smooth-working Danny Ocean in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean franchise, George Clooney is an actor of great skill. However, his most emotional and expressive performance to date may well come in the form of 2011’s The descendants (directed by Alexander Payne, also from About Schmidt).
While Matt King (Clooney) isn’t technically a widower for much of the movie, he spends most of the movie putting together his failed marriage while his wife is in a coma. Through the most trying of circumstances, Matt evokes a very special bond with his two rather distant daughters.
1/8 Nomad land
Seeing Frances McDormand’s name on a movie poster is all the assurance you need to know that it’s likely to be not only an exceptionally high-level movie, but one with empathetic, sincere acting. 2021’s Academy Award-winning Nomad country was no exception to that rule.
McDormand depicts a lonely widow who chooses a life as an itinerant, hitting the interstate in her RV and traveling across the United States, meeting fellow nomads along the way. This is a beautifully gripping, visually stunning piece of filmmaking, an obvious but thoroughly deserved choice for Best Picture, Director and Actress in a Leading Role.