Happiness for Beginners is all about taking a second chance in life and love. The Netflix original romantic comedy-drama film follows Helen Carpenter (Ellie Kemper), a 32-year-old divorcee who goes on a wilderness survival course in order to take her mind off her broken marriage. There she meets her younger brother’s friend Jake (Luke Grimes), who helps her realize that taking a second chance in life is not as hard as she thinks. Happiness for Beginners is not a great critically but it does have some very heartfelt moments and that’s why we all love these kinds of movies, right? So, if you also loved Happiness for Beginners here are some similar movies that you should watch next.
Falling Inn Love (Netflix)
Synopsis: Gabriela Diaz’s (Christina Milian) San Francisco design firm folds the week of her break-up. Inspired by a potent concoction of wine and Wi-Fi, she successfully enters a contest to “Win an Inn” overlooking New Zealand’s countryside. Thousands of airline miles later, she discovers The Bellbird Valley Farm boasts a crumbling facade, floorboard-treading goat, and meddling neighbor who covets the space. Eager to renovate and sell the property fast, she partners with Jake Taylor (Adam Demos), the Kiwi contractor and volunteer firefighter observing much of her city-girl culture shock. Once the final fixtures are hung, she’s hesitant to leave him, the inn, and the inviting community that nurtured her creative side.
Under the Tuscan Sun (Prime Video & MGM+)
Synopsis: UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN follows San Francisco writer Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) to Italy as a good friend offers her a special gift — 10 days in Tuscany. Once there, she is captivated by its beauty and warmth, and impulsively buys an aging, but very charming, villa. Fully embracing new friends and local color, she finds herself immersed in a life-changing adventure filled with enough unexpected surprises, laughter, friendship, and romance to restore her new home — and her belief in second chances.
Eat, Pray, Love (Max, Hulu & Tubi)
Synopsis: Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) is a modern woman on a quest to marvel at and travel the world while rediscovering and reconnecting with her true inner self in Eat Pray Love. At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and steps uncharacteristically out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali. Based on an inspiring true story, Eat Pray Love proves that there really is more than one way to let yourself go and see the world.
Love Again (Rent on Prime Video)
Synopsis: What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number…not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns’ new work phone. A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person…and win her heart.
What’s Love Got To Do With It? (Rent on Prime Video)
Synopsis: How do you find lasting love in today’s world? For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James), swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath’s (Emma Thompson) dismay. For Zoe’s childhood friend and neighbour Kaz (Shazad Latif), the answer is to follow his parents’ example and opt for an arranged (or “assisted”) marriage to a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his hopeful journey from London to Lahore to marry a stranger, chosen by his parents, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.
Gloria Bell (Tubi & Pluto TV)
Synopsis: Gloria (Julianne Moore) is a free-spirited divorcée who spends her days at a straight-laced office job and her nights on the dance floor, joyfully letting loose at clubs around Los Angeles. After meeting Arnold (John Turturro) on a night out, she finds herself thrust into an unexpected new romance, filled with both the joys of budding love and the complications of dating, identity, and family. From Academy Award-winning director Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman, Disobedience) comes a sophisticated romantic comedy that shows love can strike at any time, relationships are never simple, and nothing can get you down as long as you keep dancing.
A Perfect Pairing (Netflix)
Synopsis: When Lola (Victoria Justice), a hard-driving LA wine company sales exec, quits her job in hopes of starting her own wine distribution company, she eagerly books herself a plane ticket to rural Australia to chase her first potential client, Vaughn Family Wines. Unfortunately for Lola, the Vaughn Family is not interested in doing business with a fledgling company. Eager to prove herself, Lola volunteers to fill a vacant position on the Vaughn sheep farm as a farmhand. At first, Lola doesn’t seem cut out for the tough work of mending fences and wrangling sheep, but she and the dashing station manager Max (Adam Demos) strike up a friendship as he trains her. And, as they open up to one another, Lola discovers that Australia has introduced her to much more than just a love for entrepreneurship with a newfound love for Max. But will Max’s secrets prevent Lola from reaping what she romantically sows?
