Movies like Wife Begins at 40 (1988)
The best movies like Wife Begins at 40 (1988) are Author! Author! (1982), Barefoot in the Park (1967) and Night and Day (1946). If Wife Begins at 40 hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Wife Begins at 40
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFinding Neverland (2004)7.3/10 from 3,853 votes
- NewestThe Drama (2026)Released 2026
Author! Author! (1982)
While facing the stress of his original play being produced on Broadway, playwright Ivan Travalian deals with having to raise his son, his stepdaughters, and his stepsons.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarefoot in the Park (1967)
In this film based on a Neil Simon play, newlyweds Corie, a free spirit, and Paul Bratter, an uptight lawyer, share a sixth-floor apartment in Greenwich Village. Soon after their marriage, Corie tries to find a companion for mother, Ethel, who is now alone, and sets up Ethel with neighbor Victor. Inappropriate behavior on a double date causes conflict, and the young couple considers divorce.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNight and Day (1946)
When his first stage show fails, songwriter Cole Porter goes off to fight in WWI until, injured, he lands in a hospital. He impresses nurse Linda Lee with his creativity, but their budding romance must wait as Cole heads home. Back in New York, he mounts a series of popular shows, and when his work brings him back to Europe, he eventually marries Linda. But success doesn't spare him from marital complications or bad news about a beloved relative.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Out-of-Towners (1999)
The adventures of married couple Henry and Nancy Clark, vexed by misfortune while in New York City for Henry's job interview.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Roses (2025)
Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy and Theo: successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing – as Theo's career nosedives while Ivy's own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Grass Is Greener (1960)
Victor and Hillary are down on their luck to the point that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle. But Charles Delacro, a millionaire oil tycoon, visits, and takes a liking to more than the house. Soon, Hattie Durant gets involved and they have a good old fashioned love triangle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlfie (2004)
A tale of a philosophical womanizer who is forced to question his seemingly carefree existence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisRevolutionary Road (2008)
A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. Based on a novel by Richard Yates.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRunaway Bride (1999)
Having already left three grooms at the altar, Maggie Carpenter is branded "the runaway bride" by jaded New York journalist Ike Graham. But, after his facts are called into question, Ike races to Maggie's hometown to save his reputation and report on her upcoming fourth trip down the aisle – during which he's convinced she'll run again. Though he's there on a muckraking mission, Ike can't help but fall for this breathtaking heartbreaker.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOn Chesil Beach (2018)
In 1962 England, a young couple finds their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMuch Ado About Nothing (2013)
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Mother's Wedding (2025)
Three sisters return to their home for the third wedding of their twice-widowed mother. But the mother and daughters are forced to revisit the past and confront the future, with help from a colorful group of unexpected wedding guests.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Drama (2026)
A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Map That Leads to You (2025)
Heather is a young woman traveling Europe with friends before starting her perfectly planned life. A chance meeting with Jack sparks an unexpected romance that leads to deep emotional discovery. As secrets and life choices test their bond, her path changes forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHobson's Choice (1954)
A widower refuses to let his three daughters marry in order to avoid paying settlements, so they'll just have to outsmart him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFinding Neverland (2004)
During a writing slump, playwright J.M. Barrie meets a widow and her four children, all young boys—who soon become an important part of Barrie’s life and the inspiration that lead him to create his masterpiece. Peter Pan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIndiscreet (1958)
Anna Kalman is an accomplished actress who has given up hope of finding the man of her dreams. While talking about this subject with her sister, in walks Philip Adams and she realizes that this is the charming, smart, and handsome man she has been waiting for.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove at First Sight (2023)
Hadley and Oliver begin falling in love on a flight from New York to London, but when they lose each other at customs, can they defy all odds to reunite?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)
American multi-millionaire Michael Brandon marries his eighth wife, Nicole, the daughter of a broke French Marquis. But she doesn't want to be only a number in the line of his ex-wives and undertakes her own strategy to tame him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPersuasion (2022)
Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities. When Frederick Wentworth - the dashing one she once sent away - crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Wife Begins at 40?
The closest matches to Wife Begins at 40 are Author! Author! (1982), Barefoot in the Park (1967) and Night and Day (1946). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Wife Begins at 40?
Start with Author! Author! (1982), the closest match to Wife Begins at 40.
What is the highest-rated movie like Wife Begins at 40?
Finding Neverland (2004), rated 7.3/10 by 3,853 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Wife Begins at 40?
The Drama (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Wife Begins at 40?
Yes: Author! Author! (1982), Barefoot in the Park (1967) and Night and Day (1946).
How are movies similar to Wife Begins at 40 chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Wife Begins at 40, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.