In August 2018, I wrote an article about movies for empty nesters.
It remains one of our most popular articles, https://www.thisawfulawesomelife.com/home/2018/8/19/movies-for-empty-nesters-and-the-people-who-love-them-by-fran-joyce?rq=Movies%20for%20Empty%20Nesters.
This August, I decided to look for other movies and television programs that might appeal to empty nesters.
Are you nostalgic for that period of your life when your kids were growing up? I selected a few movies that explore our changing roles as our kids grow up and leave. Others deal with how we see ourselves after the kids have flown the nest. Some people are anxious to get on with their “to do” list, while others look for ways to hold on. I confess I’m a little of both. Fees may apply for streaming or subscriptions may be required to the various services, and availability can change at any time. Enjoy!
Boyhood (2014)- filmed over short periods of time during 2002 through 2013, this coming-of-age story also represents the journey to the empty nest. This film stars Ellar Coltrane as Mason Jr. and follows his life from age six to eighteen. Patricia Arquette (Olivia) and Ethan Hawke (Mason Sr.) star as his parents. We follow Mason as he and his sister Samantha (Lorelai Linklater) adjust to their parent’s divorce and the many changes it brings to their lives. When Mason is getting ready to leave to college, Olivia reflects on the bittersweet passage of time. Available to stream on fub0 TV, Paramount+ with Showtime, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Showtime Roku Premium Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Showtime, DIRECTV. For free on Tubi TV or Pluto TV with ads.
,Enough Said (2013) Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Eva), James Gandolfini (Albert), Toni Collette (Sarah), Catherine Keener (Marianne), and Ben Falcone (Will).Eva is a divorced massage therapist with a teenaged daughter who begins a relationship with Albert after being introduced to him at a party given by her friends, Will and Sarah. Albert also has a teenaged daughter. At the same party, Eva meets a poet named Marianne. Marianne and Eva have so much in common they are soon best friends. Eva learns Albert is the ex-husband of her new best friend. She continues to see him without telling Marianne and without letting him know she’s friends with Marianne. Eva and Albert break up after he learns the truth. When Eva’s daughter goes away to college, she reaches out to Albert to try to repair their relationship. Available to rent or purchase on Apple TV, Vudo, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, or Google Play Movie.
The Out-of-Towners (1999) This remake of the 1970 Neil Simon classic stars Steve Martin Henry Clark) and Goldie Hawn (Nancy Clark). Henry and Nancy live in a quiet town in Ohio. After their youngest child has left home for Europe, Nancy is hit hard by empty nest syndrome. When Henry’s company downsizes, he loses his job, but doesn’t tell Nancy. He also doesn’t tell her he’s going to a job interview in New York. When Nancy sees his tickets, she surprises him at the airport and goes along. This is the start of a set of misadventures and misunderstandings that physical comedians such as Martin and Hawn do so well. They reconnect and learn to move forward with the next stage of their lives. Available on Pluto Tv for free. You can rent or buy it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play Movies, or YouTube.
An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000) – After Max goes off to college with his friends, Goofy falls victim to empty nest syndrome, so badly he loses his job because he can’t focus. At the unemployment office, Goofy is advised he needs a college degree to get another job. Goofy joins Max and his friends at college much to their dismay. After messing up Max’s social life, Goofy comes through in the end. It’s a feel-good movie for all ages. Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play Movies, or YouTube. Included with a subscription to Disney+.
Otherhood (2019) – Carol (Angela Bassett), Gillian (Patricia Arquette), and Helen (Felicity Huffman) are friends, and their sons are best friends who move to New York together. Feeling forgotten on Mother’s Day, Carol, Gillian, and Helen always get together on that day to commiserate with each other over their sons’ failures to recognize this holiday. On this particular Mother’s Day, Gillian suggests a road trip to New York to see their sons. Helen convinces Carol and Gillian to actually go. Of course nothing goes to plan after they arrive, but mothers and sons find a way to work things out. Learning to let go doesn’t always mean you can’t stay connected. Available on Netflix with a subscription.
Grace and Frankie (2015-2022) - This Netflix comedy recently ended after seven seasons. Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lilly Tomlin) aren’t friends though their husbands are best friends and partners in a law firm. When Grace and Frankie are asked to meet their husbands for dinner, they assume the “boys” have both decided to retire. Instead, Robert (Martin Sheen) and Sol (Sam Waterson) announce they have been lovers for twenty years and now want to divorce their wives and get married. Grace and Frankie are devastated and humiliated. Grace wants the beach house the families shared, but Frankie also wants it. After dealing with the reactions of their children and their friends, Grace and Frankie realize they are the only two people who understand what each other is going through. They agree to an awkward truce which blossoms into a wonderful friendship. Grace and Frankie don’t shy away from controversial aspects of aging, parenting, and moving past empty nest syndrome. Available on Netflix.
Empty Nest (1988- 1995) – This NBC sitcom ran for eight seasons. It is a spin-off of The Golden Girls Richard Mulligan stars as Dr. Harry Weston, a recently widowed pediatrician. He and his wife had suffered from Empty nest syndrome after their three daughters left home. After his wife’s death, two of his children return home. Dr. Weston must deal with the reversal of an empty nest while he tries to figure out how to be single again. Some episodes are available on YouTube. It can be streamed on BFlix, a free movie streaming service without commercials.
The Pioneer Woman - “Empty Nester” Season 33 - Episode 13 – After the last of their children moved out, Dee Drummond and her husband become empty-nesters,. Dee realized she needed to downsize most of her recipes to accommodate their new lifestyle. This episode focuses on cooking as empty nesters. Available to stream on Discovery+.
Call Your Mother (2021) – Kiera Sedgewick stars as Jean Raines, a widow and a retired schoolteacher who relocates from Waterloo, Iowa to Los Angeles, California to be closer to her grown children who have built successful lives on their own. Jean is needy and her kids initially want no part of rearranging their lives to “babysit” her. As Jean starts to become more independent, her children start regressing and seem content to let her take care of them. The family never finds a happy balance because the show was cancelled by ABC after its first season. Watch episodes on your Roku device on Prime Video, Vudu, or Apple TV.
Young Adult (2011) – Charlize Theron stars as Mavis Grey, a thirty-seven-year-old, divorced alcoholic who ghost writes young adult novels. She’s struggling to complete the last novel after she learns the series is being cancelled. Mavis visits her hometown trying to relive her high school glory days supposedly for inspiration, but she really wants to reconnect with her old high school flame who is happily married. Mavis’ interactions with her parents are particularly poignant. They expect her to behave as an adult feeling they’ve done their job as parents. It’s an interesting twist on the empty nest. You can watch Young Adult on fuboTV or Paramount+. Can be rented or purchased on Vudu, Amazon Instant TV, iTunes, and Google Play.
Martian Child – (2007) David (John Cusack) is a widowed science fiction writer. At the time of his wife’s death they were on the waiting-list to adopt a child. Two years later, David receives a call that he has been matched with a young boy who needs a loving home. When David goes to meet young Dennis, Dennis confesses to being from Mars. He has peculiar habits including wearing weighted sons to account for the difference in Earth’s atmospheric pull. In a strange way, David relates to Dennis and convinces himself that he can help Dennis give up his fantasy. It’s a lovely film about unconditional love and its power to heal. Available to watch on Tubi - Free Movies & TV, The Roku Channel, Prime Video, Redbox., Apple TV or Vudu on your Roku device.
Lady Bird (2017) – Saoirse Ronan stars as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson. Laurie Metcalf plays her mother, Marion. Christine is in her senior year of high school at a Catholic girl’s school. She dreams of going away to college, but her family is struggling financially. Marion wants her daughter to manage her expectations, but Christine is only concerned with escaping what she feels is a boring life. Lady Bird is the name she gives herself to feel less ordinary. Christine begins acting out and her antics threaten her relationship with her mother. What happens before the empty nest? Available to watch with a subscription on YouTube, Hulu, Sling TV, fubu TV, Amazon Prime Video, or Paramount+. Available to rent on Apple TV.