The greatest “holy shit, this marriage is so totally fucked” finale is delivered by Francis Coppola‘s The Godfather (’72), but what are some of the strongest runner-ups?
In the same vein, what are some of the most dishonest upbeat finales in the history of movies about marriages and families? Upbeat endings that you’d like to believe and invest in, but you can’t possibly do so because of all the emotional corn syrup and forced fakery?
It’s A Wonderful Life is surely the fakest of them all, although I’ve always melted (and will continue to melt) when James Stewart cries out “Clarence!…I want to live again!” That’s always moved me, but the happy-schmappy stuff at the Bailey home with all the community joy and donated money…that has always felt to me like happy crap.