Top 20 Most Satisfying Movie Breakups

Given that the movie starts with Sarah Marshall initiating one of the most awkward breakups in movie history, it’s hard to feel bad when she gets dumped by her new boyfriend Aldous Snow later on. It comes out later that she was actually cheating with rock star Aldous for a year before she broke things off with her ex, Peter. But Aldous realizes she’s still not over Peter, and he gives her a taste of her own medicine. Her controlling nature clearly isn’t what the free-spirited rock star had in mind. It serves as just another reminder that she may have done her ex, Peter, a favor by dumping him in the first scene.

It’s one thing to be dumped on national TV. It’s another thing to deserve it. “You Can’t Stop the Beat” is one of the most joyous closing numbers in any musical, but Amber Von Tussle spends most of it getting absolutely humiliated. From being her racist mother’s accomplice to body shaming Tracy Turnblad every chance she gets, she’s spent the whole movie being the nastiest kid in town. She finally gets her comeuppance. Her reluctant boyfriend, pretty boy Link Larkin, basically dumps her on air when he chooses to join Tracy in a dance. He doesn’t even dignify their breakup with a speech.

Keri Russell stars in this romcom that treads some pretty dark waters. She plays Jenna, a waitress and piemaker in an abusive relationship with Earl. When she becomes pregnant, it finally gives her the courage to leave him. It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for. Obviously, any abusive loser is going to have a tantrum when he’s dumped. In “Waitress,” the soundtrack completely drowns Earl out. What he has to say is so unimportant we don’t even need to hear it. He’s carried out, kicking and screaming like an infant, while Jenna gets her first precious moments with her new daughter.

Adam Sandler plays Robbie, a wedding singer whose obsession with getting married led him to being left at the altar by the cold, immature Linda. Of course, she comes back just in time to mess things up with Julia, the woman he’s supposed to end up with. It’s almost chilling how she tries to play up her innocence when Robbie doesn’t want to get back together. Luckily, he sees through it. The scene includes a fun joke for music lovers. Robbie remarks that Linda shouldn’t wear his Van Halen shirt, as it might jinx the band. The movie’s set in 1985, and lead singer David Lee Roth would actually leave the band that year. Thanks a lot, Linda.

This Australian dark comedy stars Toni Collette as social outcast Muriel Heslop, whose self-esteem is completely tied up in getting married. She finally does have her ABBA-themed fantasy wedding, but it’s to a man who doesn’t love her. David is not attracted to Muriel. He’s just a professional athlete who needs a visa. However, once he gets to know her, he admits he could learn to like being married to her, and that’s about as sweet as he’s been the whole movie. This comes only after Muriel has gained enough self-confidence to stop pretending. David may be handsome, but she realizes she deserves better and we applaud her decision to leave him

Bernadine Harris left her own dreams behind to be a full-time wife and mother while her husband John became a successful businessman. When he announces he’s leaving her for a colleague, he sets their whole life on fire. So she decides to pay him back in kind. She furiously monologues to herself while she piles his clothes, expensive shoes, and every material thing he cares about into his car. Then she soaks it with lighter fluid and lights the match. It’s already an epic scene of rage and revenge, but what makes it even more impactful is the powerhouse acting by the unmatchable Angela Bassett.

Though born a commoner, Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia has fully accepted her place as a royal. Now comes the time to secure the throne for the next generation. Her initial choice is Andrew, Duke of Kenilworth. Unfortunately, while Andrew is handsome, there’s no spark between them. It doesn’t help that she’s in love with the handsome Nicholas. Andrew is the more politically advantageous marriage, so they mutually decide to buck up and get married anyway. They almost go through with the extravagant wedding, but rather than be unhappy, Mia freezes mid-walk down the aisle and flees. Maybe it’s not the nicest way to leave someone, but it’s hard to argue with the results.

In this update of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” Amanda Bynes plays a soccer player whose boyfriend, Justin, is a tool. When the girls’ soccer team is disbanded, she tries to join her boyfriend’s team, and he sides against her despite her talent at the sport. He tries to assert dominance over his girlfriend in front of his buddies and ends up getting a taste of his own medicine. We love a breakup that comes with an epic comeback. From the jump, we know exactly what Viola is about. She’s not gonna make herself small for any man, even one she’s dating.

At first, Veronica Sawyer’s disillusionment with being popular makes Jason Dean’s brooding soulfulness seem attractive. But it turns out, he’s just a sociopath. That cool demeanor is really just the callousness of a cold-blooded predator. There are a lot of red flags here, but the moment that Veronica finally ends the relationship just makes you want to grab a celebratory slushie. The ultimatum she gives him is pretty brave, considering he’s a literal murderer. But anyone who tells a guy not to mess with her while he’s the one holding a firearm is our kind of heroine.

Annie’s been holding out hope that her handsome but emotionally stunted husband, from whom she is separated, will finally come back to his senses and come home. When he invites her out one night and they sleep together, she thinks he’s finally ready. Then he drops the bomb on her. Not only does he want a divorce, but he’s also in love with their shared therapist. Annie, who generally has problems expressing her anger, is tired of being pushed around and gaslit. She’s overdue for a blowup. It’s a cathartic moment for her and for anyone who’s ever been with someone who made them question how they are being treated.

After the only person he’s ever slept with asks for a divorce, middle aged Cal Weaver befriends Jacob, a womanizer who teaches him how to pick up the ladies. Emma Stone plays Hannah, Weaver’s daughter and a recent law school grad that thinks her boyfriend is about to propose. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be more wrong. When her boyfriend Richard invites her and some friends out to dinner, she believes he is going to pop the question, but instead he offers her a job at his law firm. Stunned, Hannah chugs a very large glass of gin and rightfully walks out the door. You go girl!

A film that should be on everyone’s list of 1000 movies to watch before you die, “Network” is an Academy Award winning film that satirizes the television industry in a way that hasn’t been seen since. While the film has no shortage of iconic moments, few can compare to this scene between William Holden and Faye Dunaway. After their affair begins to sour, Max decides to return to his wife, but not before unleashing one of the most brutal and eloquently strung together breakup monologues in cinematic history. He rips into Dunaway’s Diana without mercy, ultimately leaving her sitting alone in her apartment trying to comprehend what just happened.

In this Disney classic, identical twins Annie and Hallie are separated at birth only to later reunite in an attempt to bring their parents back together. There’s just one problem: their father is engaged to another woman! When the four of them head out on a camping trip, Annie and Hallie do everything in their power to dissuade Meredith from marrying Nick. However, the final straw is when they push her into the middle of the lake while she’s asleep. When a soaked Meredith returns to shore, she gives Nick an ultimatum: them or me. Let’s just say that when you ask a father to choose between a woman and his kids, the latter will win every time.

“The Holiday” opens with one of the most cringe worthy moments of all-time, as lovelorn Iris is forced to watch as Jasper, the love of her life, proposes to another woman right before her eyes. It doesn’t get much better from there, as Jasper continues to treat her like a doormat for the rest of the film. However, after a newfound friend convinces her to unlock her inner courage, Iris is finally ready to tell Jasper it’s over; and boy does she ever give it to him! Kate Winslet knocks this scene out of the park, giving viewers a satisfying moment of revenge that’s highlighted by slamming a door right in Jasper’s face! Now that’s gumption!

In a film noted for its gross out humor and crass dialogue, perhaps no character is as overtly unlikable as Melissa, Stu’s bossy girlfriend. While she is only in the film for a couple of scenes, they are more than enough to convince us that she is a total nightmare. Thankfully, after making it through the worst hangover of his life and finding a little self-respect in the process, Stu is ready to tell Melissa it’s over. In front of friends and family, Stu announces with conviction that he is done with her, but not before informing everyone that Melissa cheated on him. Atta boy Stu!

Man, some on-screen boyfriends are almost too much to bear. “Bring It On” follows high school cheerleader Torrance Shipman, as she attempts to guide her cheer squad to a sixth consecutive national title. However, along the way her philandering and unsupportive boyfriend Aaron continuously causes her emotional grief. To call him a dude boyfriend would be a gross understatement, as Aaron thinks of no one but himself and is constantly telling Torrance she’s no good. Thankfully, Torrance comes to her senses and dumps his ass, ultimately ending up with Cliff, Aaron’s polar opposite in almost every imaginable way.

“The Social Network” makes no attempt to hide the fact that its protagonist is more than a little self-centered. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the film’s opening scene, as for the better part of five minutes Zuckerberg appears to be talking to himself instead of to his girlfriend Erica…who is seated directly across from him. As she struggles to keep up, you can’t help but get the feeling that this scene is hurtling to a dramatic conclusion - and boy does it ever. The final straw comes when Zuckerberg condescendingly tells Erica he’ll introduce her to people she “wouldn’t normally get to meet.” Yikes. Not to worry, Erica gets the last laugh with one hell of a closing line.

Single, awkward and hopelessly obsessed with her weight, Bridget Jones wants nothing more than to find her Mr. Right. She’s soon presented with two options: Mark Darcy, a family friend who despises her and Daniel Cleaver, her womanizing boss. For a while she settles on the latter, but things don’t work out quite the way she hoped. Their relationship culminates in one of the film’s most memorable scenes, as Mark and Daniel come to blows in the middle of the street. After Daniel is knocked unconscious, Bridget rushes to his side, but when he comes to he doesn’t exactly win her over with his comments. So she satisfyingly dumps him like he’s another one of her bad habits.

Set in Georgia during and after the American Civil War, “Gone with the Wind” traces the life of Scarlett O’Hara as she struggles to maintain her marriage to Rhett Butler while being openly in love with another man. The film is wrought with moments of flared tempers and unbridled emotions, but few can compare to the final scene, when Rhett, scorned by his years in a loveless marriage, decides to leave his wife. But not before he delivers one of the most iconic lines in cinematic history. It’s a fitting end to Scarlett and Rhett’s sham of a marriage.

Cal Hockley is a pompous ass. There, we said it. The man has little to no redeeming qualities, regularly talks down to people he considers beneath him and only pays Rose any attention because she’s a beautiful woman from a respectable family. So one can’t help but let out a joyous cheer when Rose finally summons the courage to stand up to him in the film’s third act. After he calls her a whore for attempting to reunite with Jack, Rose rightfully quips “I’d rather be his whore than your wife.” She follows that up by spitting directly in Cal’s face, further cementing the fact that their relationship is over!

What’s your favorite movie breakup? Tell us in the comments.