Hollywood has given us some of the most iconic romance pairings, but not every cinematic couple has won the hearts of the audience. Here are the top 10 worst romance pairings in movies, which for various reasons, fell short of creating believable or appropriate chemistry:
- Kirsten Dunst and Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire – This film featured a kiss between 11-year-old Kirsten Dunst and 31-year-old Brad Pitt. Though not intended as a romantic pairing, the age difference and the nature of the scene made it deeply unsettling.
- Mariel Hemingway and Woody Allen in Manhattan – In this film, 17-year-old Mariel Hemingway plays the girlfriend of 42-year-old Woody Allen, sparking debates over the age disparity and appropriateness of their on-screen relationship.
- Brooke Shields and Keith Carradine in Pretty Baby – A film that involves Shields, a 12-year-old, in a relationship with an adult character played by Carradine. The film’s content and casting were highly controversial for sexualizing a young actress in a provocative setting.
- Natalie Portman and Jean Reno in The Professional – While the film does not depict a full romantic relationship, the intense bond between 12-year-old Portman’s character and Reno’s middle-aged hitman has been criticized for its ambiguous undertones.
- Brian Bonsall and Karen Duffy in Blank Check – In a questionable scene, 12-year-old Bonsall receives a kiss from 31-year-old Duffy, which, despite the film’s comedic intent, was inappropriate due to the age difference.
- Sunny Suljic and Alexa Demie in Mid90s – The film includes a controversial scene where young actor Sunny Suljic’s character interacts romantically with Alexa Demie’s much older character, which many viewers found inappropriate.
- Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper in Love in the Afternoon – The age gap between Hepburn and Cooper was so significant that it overshadowed the romantic narrative, making their pairing less believable and appealing to the audience.
- Emma Stone and Colin Firth in Magic in the Moonlight – The significant age difference between the two leads in this romantic comedy was a point of contention for viewers, who felt it detracted from the story’s believability.
- Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Entrapment – The nearly 40-year age gap between Connery and Zeta-Jones in this heist film was hard for many viewers to overlook, casting a shadow over their romantic scenes.
- Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Serena – Despite the actors’ strong performances in other films together, their pairing in this movie felt forced and lacked the chemistry needed to make their relationship compelling.
These pairings demonstrate that casting choices can profoundly impact the believability of a romantic storyline, and that mismatched pairings can significantly detract from the overall effectiveness of a film’s narrative.
