Random Saddest Movie Breakup Scenes (14 items)

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  (#1) The Notebook

  • Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling

  Although The Notebook ultimately ends in a happily ever after, it takes quite the tear-filled path to get there. While Noah and Allie have plenty of heartbreaking ups and downs during the course of the film, nothing is quite as sad as their first breakup scene. While the couple has spent a magical summer together, Noah is starting to catch on to the fact that this might not be a forever thing. He tries to be realistic and tells Allie that they should finish out the summer and figure out what to do after that. 

  Allie doesn't take the news well. She freaks out and starts an argument, telling Noah that if he wants to break up with her, he should just do it right now. While the entire scene is entrenched in emotion, the difficult feelings of hurt quickly turn into anger. Allie doesn't react the way Noah thought she would, but her heartbreak at potentially losing someone she loves is very apparent. She doesn't know what to do, which is made more obvious by the fact that she tells Noah to leave and then immediately panics and looks for reassurance that they're not really breaking up. 

  The feeling Allie emotes is almost too real and too genuine. She's desperate to hold on to someone she loves, even when she knows it has little chance of working out. Her anger, frustration, and sadness make the scene incredibly difficult to watch. 
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  (#2) La La Land

  • Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

  La La Land follows two struggling artists trying to make it big in Los Angeles. Mia Dolan is an aspiring actor, while Sebastian Wilder is a serious jazz musician. The two meet and fall in love, but their careers interfere in their relationship. Since Sebastian is struggling to get his music off the ground, he joins a new band with an old friend. The music, however, has a distinct pop feel that loses some of the magic Sebastian relishes in jazz. Despite not being the music Sebastian wants to perform, the band grows in popularity quickly and soon takes over Sebastian's life. 

  Mia, on the other hand, is still struggling to make her dream a reality. With Sebastian's prodding, she writes and stars in a one-woman play. On the night of her performance, however, Sebastian doesn't show up because he's at a photo shoot for his band. 

  When Sebastian finally does arrive at the theater, Mia is completely done. The band was already a sore point in their relationship, and this last mistake, coupled with her unsuccessful play, is the last straw for Mia. Sebastian is desperate for Mia to forgive him, but it's too late. Her complete despair at the state of her life and relationship is painfully apparent. 

  The first breakup scene is punctuated by a later conversation between the couple after Sebastian picks Mia up and drives her to an important audition. Although the couple clearly loves each other and supports one another's dreams, they also recognize that their aspirations are no longer leading them along the same path. They choose to pursue their careers, ending their relationship in the process. It's a realistic and difficult decision, which makes their breakup scene truly heartbreaking. 
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  (#3) Casablanca

  • Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart

  Rick Blaine is an American living in Casablanca, where he owns and operates a successful nightclub. One day, however, his life is turned on its head when former lover Ilsa Lund walks into his bar. Ilsa is accompanied by her husband, Victor Laszlo, a Czech Resistance leader. The pair desperately need papers that allow them to travel freely around Germany and Portugal, and Rick is rumored to have them. 

  Rick and Isla met early in WWII when Ilsa believed that her husband died in a concentration camp. When she learned that Victor was still alive, she abandoned Rick without an explanation and returned to Victor. While asking Rick for the papers, Ilsa confesses that she still loves him. Rick agrees to help Victor, and Ilsa states that she'll stay with Rick when Victor leaves. 

  Rick coordinates an escape for Victor and, at the last minute, tells Ilsa she must go with him. He explains that Ilsa would eventually regret leaving her husband, and he doesn't want to put that kind of pressure on her. Although it's difficult for Rick to give up the love of his life, he chooses to do the best thing for Ilsa. His assured decision leaves no room for argument, which makes the pain of their breakup all the more acute. 
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  (#4) Call Me by Your Name

  • Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet

  In Call Me By Your Name, Elio and Oliver are two young Jewish men struggling between the expectations of their community and their feelings for one another. They engage in a passionate romance, but their affair is short-lived. Oliver is set to return to the States after a summer spent in Italy with Elio. The two spend three romantic days alone together before Oliver's train departs. 

  At the train station, the two share a long, close hug. When Oliver tries to pull away, Elio holds him closer. When they finally part, both men are visibly upset, but they say nothing. They know that their relationship can't go anywhere and that Oliver must return home. Their circumstances are too much for them to overcome, and words won't change anything. Oliver gets on the train, leaving a distraught Elio behind. 

  Without any words, Elio and Oliver both communicate a heartbreaking depth of emotion. It's a breakup entirely based on circumstance rather than anything truly wrong with their relationship, which makes the entire situation painfully unfair. 
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  (#5) Cruel Intentions

  • Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe

  In Cruel Intentions, Sebastian decides to seduce pure Annette after making a bet with his stepsister, Kathryn. Although their flirtation begins with malintent, Sebastian starts to truly fall for Annette. Although Annette knows about his reputation as a playboy, she falls for him as well. Their relationship should end in a happily ever after, but Kathryn steps in and causes trouble. 

  After learning that Annette consummated her relationship with Sebastian, Kathryn offers herself to Sebastian, holding up her side of the deal. Sebastian refuses her, as he now only wants Annette. Kathryn doesn't appreciate his rejection and tells him that she'll ruin Annette's "good girl" reputation if Sebastian doesn't break up with her. 

  Sebastian agrees, and he goes to find a happy Annette. Without any emotion, Sebastian tells her that their relationship isn't working out anymore. He coldly tells her that he never really loved her and that he simply wanted to see what she was like in bed. Throughout the entire conversation, Annette can tell that he's lying. Both Sebastian and Annette know that the breakup isn't right, but there's nothing either of them will do to stop it. The result is a tear-inducing scene that feels wrong from beginning to end. 
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  (#6) Gone with the Wind

  • Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh

  In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett O'Hara is a woman trying to survive in the middle of the Civil War. Scarlett is self-centered and vindictive, and her desire to have her way leads to more than a few failed marriages. Scarlett's one enduring love is Ashley Wilkes, but Ashley is a married man. Rhett Butler, on the other hand, desperately wants to be with Scarlett. Though she makes her way through a series of men, Scarlett eventually marries Rhett. The two have a daughter together, but Scarlett's heart is still with Ashley. 

  The couple suffers through a bad relationship punctuated by the loss of their child before Rhett finally decides to leave. As he walks out, Scarlett realizes that she always loved Rhett, not Ashley, but it's too late. Scarlett pushed her husband too far, and he's beyond caring for her anymore. Scarlett tries to remedy the situation, but Rhett points out that her apologies can't fix their past. He leaves coldly, explaining to Scarlett that he no longer cares what happens to her. 

  The breakup was expected, especially considering how bad Scarlett and Rhett's relationship was. But the truly sad thing is the idea that you can't change someone else's feelings. Once they decide they're done, there's simply nothing more that you can do. It's a painful truth about relationships that's beautifully accomplished in this story, even if it does draw a few tears from the eye. 
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  (#7) (500) Days of Summer

  • Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

  The (500) Days of Summer breakup scene is so sad because it feels so painfully realistic. While Tom has been in love with Summer from the beginning, she has made it clear time and time again that she isn't on the same page. She's often hot and cold with Tom, though their relationship certainly has its happy moments. 

  The breakup scene is intercut with Tom's own explanation of his relationship with Summer. He recounts their happy moments together over a stream of clips that show the early days. He admits, however, that things had cooled off recently. Summer seemingly lost interest in Tom, refusing to engage in their jokes anymore and generally pulling away. Finally, during dinner at a diner, Summer announces out of the blue that she thinks they should stop seeing each other. 

  Tom is completely taken aback. While Summer thinks this is the logical end to their relationship, Tom can't understand that she's not happy. The moment isn't full of tears and sad statements, which almost makes it more depressing. It's a natural end to a relationship that just wasn't working, even if one participant thought everything was okay. 
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  (#8) The Break-Up

  • Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston

  The Break-Up is an interesting take on a romcom. Rather than following the couple as they get together, this movie focuses on the end of Gary and Brooke's relationship. Gary and Brooke meet at the start of the film and begin dating, but a quick montage recaps their most important moments as a couple. Things really get moving after the pair are already living together. A dinner party with family brings out the many issues lying under the surface. Gary refuses to help Brooke get ready, which causes her to accuse him of being immature and self-centered. From Gary's perspective, he simply wants the freedom to lie down and relax after a long day at work. 

  Their opposing viewpoints lead to a big fight where Brooke announces that she's done with the relationship. Things don't really end there, however. Over the course of the movie, both Gary and Brooke play games while trying to get the other person to admit that they want to get back together. Neither of them is honest about their emotions, and their breakup slowly becomes more and more permanent. 

  The truly heartbreaking moment occurs at the end of the film when Gary finally gets his act together and decides to tell Brooke he loves her. He promises that he'll do better and admits that the whole breakup was really hard on him. At the end of his long speech, Brooke tearfully says that she just doesn't feel the same way anymore. The moment marks a turning point in their relationship, but it simply comes too late. As a viewer, you recognize that, if Gary had simply admitted his wrongdoings right away, everything might have been fine between them. That knowledge makes the end of their painfully normal relationship a true tragedy. 
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  (#9) Good Will Hunting

  • Matt Damon, Minnie Driver

  Will Hunting is a working-class genius who works as a janitor at MIT. Although he's a little rough around the edges, he meets and falls in love with Skylar, a soon-to-be graduate of Harvard. While he wants to make things work with Skylar, Will is also insecure about where he comes from. He shies away from introducing Skylar to his friends or showing her his home. Their relationship comes to a head when Skylar asks Will to move with her to California while she attends medical school at Stanford. 

  Instead of jumping at the opportunity to be with her, Will sabotages the relationship. As his mentor later points out, he doesn't want his relationships to fail, so he ruins them before they can cause him any pain. The scene between Will and Skylar is so upsetting because it's entirely based around Will's own insecurity. It has nothing to do with the strength of their relationship or the love between them. A really good romance comes to an end simply because Will can't get it together enough to be who Skylar needs him to be. 
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  (#10) Jerry Maguire

  • Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger

  While Jerry Maguire is primarily about Jerry's journey to become a successful sports agent on his own terms, his story is also intertwined with his relationship with Dorothy Boyd. When Jerry leaves his agency, Dorothy is the only person who leaves with him. Over the course of their working relationship, the pair fall in love and get married. 

  As Jerry tries to find professional success, however, his relationship with Dorothy falls apart. Unexpectedly for Jerry, Dorothy serves him with divorce papers. Dorothy explains that she took advantage of Jerry and jumped into the relationship too quickly, without really knowing how he felt for her. While Jerry doesn't want to give up on their marriage, Dorothy doesn't want to stay simply because he feels responsible for her. 

  Not only is their conversation a breakup, but it's also the dissolution of a marriage, which always carries a little more weight. But the truly sad thing is how measured Dorothy is throughout the entire exchange. She desperately wants Jerry to love her, but she's accepted that he simply doesn't. She still harbors affection for him, but she's come to terms with her future and decided to do the best possible thing for herself. It's simultaneously empowering and upsetting. 
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  (#11) Closer

  • Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen, Colin Stinton, Ray Donn, Peter Rnic, Michael Haley, Robert Stone, Elizabeth Bower, Selena Mars, Steve Morphew, Leonard Silver, Steve Benham, Nick Hobbs, Abdul Popoola, Rrenford Junior Fagan, Antony Gabriel, Daniel Dresner, Bret Yount

  Closer follows the rise and fall of Dan and Alice's relationship. Although the pair are supposedly in love, Dan meets a woman named Anna and almost immediately tries to cheat on Alice. Anna resists him for a while, but she eventually gives in to his seduction. The pair sleep together for a year while they're both in other relationships. After the affair carries on so long, Anna and Dan each confesses to their partners that they're in love with someone else. 

  The ensuing conversation between Alice and Dan is heartbreaking. Without any prelude, Dan admits everything to Alice, who can hardly bear the pain. She packs up her things and starts to leave, all the while asking questions about Dan's affair. The longer they talk, the more distraught Alice becomes. Like most instances of cheating, Alice simply can't understand why someone she loves would do this to her. 

  Eventually, Alice just dissolves into tears and asks Dan to hold her. The moment perfectly captures the dichotomy between being incredibly angry at someone, but still wanting to turn to them for support. The scene feels desperate and sad at the same time, which is so often how breakups seem to go. 
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  (#12) Celeste and Jesse Forever

  • Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg

  Celeste and Jesse were high school sweethearts who eventually got married at a young age. Although they're decently happy together, their relationship isn't as good as it should be. Soon, Celeste asks for a divorce. Although Jesse agrees, the two remain close and continue to spend most of their time together.

  After a night together, Jesse finally realizes that getting back together isn't the best thing for them. At this point, Celeste also realizes that she doesn't want to lose him completely. He moves out and moves on with his life, while Celeste struggles to get over their relationship. The movie ends with Celeste and Jesse signing their divorce papers while laughing at each other's inside jokes. Celeste wishes Jesse well in his new relationship, and the two part ways on good terms. 

  The entire film is almost like one big breakup scene. Although it's somewhat clear that it's time for these two to move on, the shared history between them makes it difficult for either of them to walk away. They're best friends, so they're giving up a lot more by letting go of their marriage. It's hard to watch both of them grapple with the implications of their decision, even though they ultimately choose to move forward without one another. 
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  (#13) Forgetting Sarah Marshall

  • Kristen Bell, Jason Segel

  While Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a comedy, it does have a few emotional moments. Composer Peter Bretter has been dating actress Sarah Marshall for five years, so he's shocked when she returns home one day and announces that she wants to break up with him. 

  The moment is both pathetic and funny since Peter is completely nude when Sarah breaks up with him. But the actual words she says definitely hit a nerve. Although Sarah tries to pull the usual clichés she eventually admits that there's someone else. She explains that the two of them lost their spark, largely because of Peter's lack of motivation. Peter, on the other hand, is entirely heartbroken about losing who he thought was the love of his life. 

  The moment is sad because Sarah's words are realistic. It's hard to be with someone who doesn't have any drive to help themselves. When you feel like you're the only one carrying the relationship, it's easy to become frustrated and angry about your situation. Since it's a breakup that has happened numerous times in real-life scenarios, it still feels a little heartbreaking, despite the funny additions. 
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  (#14) The Social Network

  • Rooney Mara, Jesse Eisenberg

  Before Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook, he was dumped as a 19-year-old college student by his girlfriend, Erica Albright. In The Social Network, Erica tries to talk to Mark about his ambitions, but Mark continues to act like an arrogant jerk. He insults her background, education, and sexual history, all the while acting like his statements are completely justified. 

  As Erica tries to leave, Mark grows increasingly panicked. He begs her to stay and talk to him, but Erica refuses to listen to him degrade her. Erica ends the conversation by telling Mark that people don't like him because he's a jerk, much to Mark's surprise. She storms away and leaves Mark sitting at the table, somehow wondering where he went wrong. 

  The scene is empowering and justified, but it's definitely a little sad. Mark's complete lack of awareness is threaded throughout the film. His relationship with Erica sets up his character well, and it doesn't leave fans feeling confident about his future decisions. 

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