Saagar Kote
Directed by Kate Winslet, Netflix’s ‘Goodbye June’ is the riveting story of a mother and her children. When an old woman named June (Helen Mirren) faces a major health crisis, her children Connor (Johnny Flynn), Julia (Kate Winslet), Molly (Andrea Riseborough), and Helen (Toni Collette) visit her. This comes with its share of familial tensions, as unresolved issues and matters of the past make the reunion more difficult.
June believes that she is surely approaching her final days, and the only thing she wants to do is bid adieu to her family properly. With Christmas around the corner, the siblings must also reassess their relationship with their father Bernie (Timothy Spall). As the relationships between the family members become more complicated, the only way forward for the siblings is to look within for answers. In this list, we bring you movies similar to ‘Goodbye June’ that delve into familial bonds, complex emotions, and the meaning of life.
12. His Three Daughters (2023)
Netflix’s ‘His Three Daughters’ is the story of three sisters, including Katie (Carrie Coon), Rachel (Natasha Lyonne), and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen). Their father, Vincent (Jay O. Sanders), falls seriously ill, which causes the siblings to reunite in his NYC house to take care of him. Their own insecurities, unresolved issues, and ambitions take hold of them as they navigate their difficult bonds with each other. With the doctors advising them to make their father’s end as peaceful as possible, the daughters have difficult conversations about different points in their lives.
Despite all their infighting, they must realize that their only way out of their emotional chaos is to reconcile and accept each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Directed by Azazel Jacobs, the drama film, like ‘Goodbye June,’ is a touching family story, with its share of deep relationship issues, clashes, and the element of death.
11. This Is Where I Leave You (2014)
Helmed by Shawn Levy, ‘This is Where I Leave You’ revolves around the lives of Judd Altman (Jason Bateman), who goes back home after the death of his father. He reunites with his mother, Hilary (Jane Fonda), and his siblings Phillip (Adam Driver), Wendy (Tina Fey), and Paul (Corey Stoll). After the funeral, Hilary tells her children that their father’s last wish was for all of them to stay for at least a week under the same roof. Forced to spend time with each other, the siblings and their mother address their emotional turmoils and the complexities of their relationships with each other.
Judd runs into Penny Moore (Rose Byrne), which makes the situation more confusing due to his failing marriage. As the siblings deal with their over-sharing mother and crises in their personal lives, they must find the will to give love a chance again. Based on Jonathan Tropper’s eponymous novel, the comedy-drama film is connected to ‘Goodbye June’ due to its portrayal of sibling bonds, emotional issues, the meaning of life, and the cost of death.
10. Blackbird (2019)
‘Blackbird,’ a drama film, chronicles the journey of Lily (Susan Sarandon), who is on the verge of death due to a serious medical issue. She and her husband, Paul (Sam Neill), invite their children, Anna (Mia Wasikowska) and Jennifer (Kate Winslet), home to spend these difficult last days with them. As the sisters deal with problems in their own lives, Lily tries to reconnect with them on an emotional level. The mother is ready to embrace death, but her kids are not prepared to bid farewell to her.
With grandkids, partners, and other loved ones converging in the house, the situation gets more intense, especially for Anna and Jennifer. Based on Christian Torpe’s Danish film ‘Silent Heart,’ the Roger Michell directorial is a poignant navigation of love, relationships, familial tensions, death, and reconciliation, which makes it complementary to ‘Goodbye June’ and its characters.
9. The Judge (2014)
In ‘The Judge,’ a Chicago-based lawyer named Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) returns home to handle a unique situation. His father, Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), who is a judge in Indiana, is accused of murder. The legal situation in the drama film gets messy as Hank is seen as the last hope for Joseph to be liberated from the accusations. With the strains of their relationship taking a toll on them, Hank and Joseph find it difficult to live under the same roof, while also exploring the cost of estrangement.
As Hank crosses paths with Samantha Powell (Vera Farmiga), a woman from his past, the murder case also gets increasingly intriguing. Directed by David Dobkin, the movie, on the lines of ‘Goodbye June,’ sheds light on emotional truths, the crisis of reconciliation, and the intricacies of the parent-child bond in a difficult home.
8. The Family Stone (2005)
‘The Family Stone,’ a comedy-drama film directed by Thomas Bezucha, traces the experiences of Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker), a corporate woman with conservative values. She faces a challenging situation when she visits her lover Everett Stone’s (Dermot Mulroney) seemingly liberal family. She faces a sense of isolation as her personal beliefs clash with those of the Stone family members. Despite her attempts to connect, the Stones are hesitant to embrace her.
The situation is further complicated by an unexpected romance that blossoms between Meredith and Everett’s brother, Ben (Luke Wilson). Caught in a messy situation, Meredith has to find the strength to overcome it. Despite the tonal differences, the familial themes and the complex emotional dynamics of the film bear a resemblance to the world of ‘Goodbye June.’
7. Terms of Endearment (1983)
Based on Larry McMurtry’s eponymous novel, ‘Terms of Endearment’ is the tale of Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine), a widow who faces various emotional issues, and especially a difficult relationship with her daughter Emma Horton (Debra Winger). When Aurora enters a relationship with her neighbor, Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson), she must also try to intervene in Emma’s complex marital life with her husband, Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels), who seems to be a difficult man to deal with. As the mother and daughter address the issues related to their partners, they should also try to mend their own issues. Directed by James L. Brooks, the comedy-drama film, akin to ‘Goodbye June,’ is an exploration of the complexities of troubled relationships and the emotional difficulties of the mother-daughter bond.
6. August: Osage County (2013)
Directed by John Wells, ‘August: Osage County,’ based on the play of the same name by Tracy Letts, deals with the happenings in the lives of Violet Weston (Meryl Streep), who is challenged by an addiction to pills. She faces a health crisis, which prompts her children, Barbara Weston (Julia Roberts), Ivy Weston (Julianne Nicholson), and Karen Weston (Juliette Lewis) to return to their family home in Oklahoma. When the siblings reunite, it causes chaos due to their own issues and the seemingly difficult behavior of Violet.
As secrets from the past and the insecurities of the family members threaten them, their only way out is to communicate with each other. Violet’s failing health makes the situation more complicated for the sisters and their partners. The drama movie is spiritually and thematically complementary to ‘Goodbye June’ and its characters due to its focus on family dynamics, the emotional impact of serious health issues, and the intricacies of reconciliation in a broken home.
5. Amour (2012)
The French film ‘Amour’ follows Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva), an elderly couple whose peaceful life is shattered when Anne has a stroke, resulting in a condition called hemiplegia. This incident drastically challenges the reality of the couple, who are also retired music teachers. Anne’s mental health issues and physical deterioration make the situation more complicated as her daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert) becomes a part of the dynamic emotional equation.
Anne wishes to be cared for, which prompts Georges to try his best to do so. Georges has to make difficult decisions regarding the future of the family, which might not be easy for his daughter and wife to handle. Directed by Michael Haneke, the drama film sheds light on the challenges of maintaining relationships, like ‘Goodbye June’ does. Both stories look at the varying perspectives of different generations and the claustrophobic feel of familial tensions.
4. One True Thing (1998)
‘One True Thing,’ directed by Carl Franklin, centers on middle-aged homemaker Kate Gulden (Meryl Streep), who is terminally ill with cancer. Her daughter, Ellen Gulden (Renée Zellweger), returns home to become her mother’s caregiver, despite being focused on her career and other parts of her life. Meanwhile, Kate’s husband, George Gulden (William Hurt), grapples with personal struggles and wrongly assumes his daughter lacks concern for his wife.
As Kate’s health declines, the family is forced to confront their new reality and accept the inevitable consequences, which makes it an experience that drastically alters their view of family. Based on Anna Quindlen’s novel of the same name, the drama film shares thematic similarities with ‘Goodbye June’ in its exploration of complex family connections, the emotional cost of health conditions, and the element of reconciliation.
3. The Father (2020)
‘The Father’ is the turbulent tale of a man named Anthony (Anthony Hopkins), who has dementia. He faces difficulties in his daily life, often forgetting the most basic things. His relationship with his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman), goes through complications as he refuses her care. Despite Anne’s efforts, she finds no real way to convince her father to accept the care that he deserves. As their relationship reaches new lows, Anthony begins to realize that his entire reality is fragile and may collapse on him at any moment.
With no possible solution in sight, Anthony must bear a heavy burden, which may be his way to freedom. Based on the French play ‘Le Père’ by the director Florian Zeller, the British psychological drama is a tumultuous journey. On the lines of ‘Goodbye June,’ it involves the examination of a broken parent-child relationship, the ego of family members, and the inevitability of emotional separation.
2. Still Alice (2014)
In ‘Still Alice,’ linguistics professor Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), happily married with three adult children, begins to forget words. Diagnosed with Early-onset Alzheimer’s, she and her family face a harrowing challenge as the health condition gets more pronounced. This affects the life of her husband, John Howland (Alec Baldwin), who is her primary caregiver. Alice also faces a complex relationship with her youngest daughter, Lydia (Kristen Stewart), and her eldest daughter, Anna (Kate Bosworth), who has a family of her own with her husband, Charlie Jones (Shane McRae).
When she realizes that she may not have very long to live a stable life, she has to go beyond her limits to find redemption in the time remaining. Based on Lisa Genova’s eponymous novel, the film is a poignant navigation of reconciliation. Helmed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, the drama film, like ‘Goodbye June,’ sheds light on the effects of the health conditions of loved ones on family members, the mother-daughter relationship, and the idea of time-restricted redemption.
1. Pieces of April (2003)
Directed by Peter Hedges, ‘Pieces of April’ chronicles the ups and downs in the life of April Burns (Katie Holmes), a young girl who lives away from her family. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, she makes up her mind to invite her terminally ill mother, Joy Burns (Patricia Clarkson), father Jim Burns (Oliver Platt), and sister Beth Burns (Alison Pill) to her apartment for the holiday. As the parents reluctantly travel to April’s place, they wonder how to start conversations with her. April’s new relationship with Bobby (Derek Luke) also makes things more complicated. With nowhere to escape, April and her parents must find the strength to reconnect and also accept Joy’s terrifying reality.
The comedy-drama film resembles ‘Goodbye June’ due to its narrative-visual choices, the closed-space interactions, the nuances of the mother-daughter bond, and the emotional cost of failing health. The journeys of the characters in the two films are spiritually connected due to the similarities in their circumstances and settings.
Read More: Where Was Goodbye June Filmed?
