Scrolling through movies to watch is my least favorite activity of all time. To save you from this terrible task, let me recommend three date night winners that I have watched recently. Not only did my husband and I both enjoy them (a big deal in our household), but the movies celebrated the beauty and struggles of marriage and family life.
As far as genres go, one is a comedy, another I would classify as a romantic drama with comedic moments, and the first is an action and adventure movie. So, hopefully one of these will hit the right mood on your next movie night.
1
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
I had never seen a Godzilla movie, or many monster movies in general, but my husband begged me to give this one a shot. I’m so glad I did! The movie centers around a pilot, Shikishima, and a woman, Noriko, unexpectedly thrown together to care for a baby orphaned by war. Shikishima holds onto a huge amount of guilt as World War II ends, and this guilt plagues him and strangles his relationships throughout the movie.
Fighting Godzilla is part of the movie, and is engaging to watch, but the fight for forgiveness, redemption and the primacy of family life was more insightful and interesting to me. This movie is two hours long and is in Japanese with English subtitles. Available to stream on Netflix and Amazon.
2
The Courtship (2022)
What would happen if you had to move back home unexpectedly as a single woman, and you realized that your dad didn’t want you around to interrupt his womanizing? One thing that might happen is that your father places a wanted advertisement in the paper and marries you off to the most eager — I mean best — suitor. Alternately humorous and heart wrenching, this exploration of marriage and relationship was fascinating and fun to watch.
We saw The Courtship for the first time when I was newly postpartum with a baby who was only happy while being walked around the room. So, I can attest that the movie is almost as enjoyable a viewing experience in constant motion as it is sitting still. (My husband and I took turns walk-watching while the other got to sit still and empty-armed). This movie is an hour and twenty minutes long and is in Hungarian with English subtitles. It can be streamed on Amazon.
3
Yours Mine and Ours (1968)
If you haven’t gotten to experience the 1968 comedy about two widowed parents of large families falling in love and blending their families, you’re in for a treat. Alongside the comical and endearing vibes cascading through the screen, the commentary on what it means to love sacrificially as a spouse, and as a parent, is spot on. I first saw this movie growing up and was astonished by the scenes showing packing school lunches for the new family and going grocery shopping, despite having eight siblings of my own. A fun celebration of family life. This movie is just shy of two hours and is in English. Available to stream on Amazon.
And today we celebrate...