Movie

The Man in the Moon

1991 · 99 min

A sun-drenched, tender summer memory that slowly tightens into heartbreak, leaving a quiet ache long after it ends.

Directed by: Robert Mulligan
Genres: Drama, Romance
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Jason London, Emily Warfield

Tagline: Remember when you couldn't wait for your life to begin... and then, one day, it did?
Overview: Maureen Trant and her younger sibling Dani share a strong connection, but local boy Court Foster threatens to throw their bond off balance. Dani and Court meet first and have a flirtatious rapport -- but when he meets Maureen, he falls hard and they begin a passionate affair. The new couple try to keep their love hidden from Dani, but she soon learns the truth, disavowing her sister. But a heartbreaking accident later reunites the girls.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: The Man in the Moon

Stream in the UK

MGM Plus Amazon Channel

More options Data from JustWatch

Directed by: Robert Mulligan
Genres: Drama, Romance
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Jason London, Emily Warfield

In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
warmstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
romanticstrength 2 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: coming-of-age
grief
family
love
betrayal
Places: countryside
small town
home
Era: period
Audience: teen
Form: None
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	2
Horror	2
Humour	3
Realism	8
Romance	6
Tension	4
Darkness	5
Complexity	4
Emotional weight	8

Titles like The Man in the Moon

Movie

Call Me by Your Name

2017

A sun-drenched, sensuous summer idyll that slowly tightens into a heartbreak you feel in your chest.

Melancholic, warm, slow-burn · about coming-of-age and grief

Via: melancholic
warm
coming-of-age
grief
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 132 min

Details

Call Me by Your NameHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Mud

2012

A slow, humid riverbank coming-of-age tale that drifts between boyish adventure and grown-up heartbreak, ending in sudden violence and quiet hope.

Melancholic, warm, slow-burn · about coming-of-age and family

Via: melancholic
warm
coming-of-age
family
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 130 min

Details

MudHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Brokeback Mountain

2005

A quietly devastating, slow-burning romance that immerses you in longing and loss against vast, lonely landscapes.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about grief and love

Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
love
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: demanding
Runtime: 134 min

Details

Brokeback MountainHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Summer of '42

1971

A sunlit, bittersweet reminiscence that drifts between goofy adolescent awkwardness and a quiet, aching sadness.

Same director: Robert Mulligan · Melancholic, warm, slow-burn · about coming-of-age and grief

Also: Same director: Robert Mulligan
Via: melancholic
warm
coming-of-age
grief
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 103 min

Details

Summer of '42Hidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Last Picture Show

1971

A quiet, aching look at small-town lives fading away, leaving a lingering sense of loss and tenderness.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about coming-of-age and grief

Via: melancholic
earnest
coming-of-age
grief
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 119 min

Details

The Last Picture ShowHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Girls Like Girls

2026

A tender, aching summer of first love and quiet heartbreak, steeped in small-town melancholy and slow healing.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about coming-of-age and grief

Via: melancholic
earnest
coming-of-age
grief
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 95 min

Details

Girls Like GirlsHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Little Women

1994

A warm, heartfelt coming-of-age story with moments of sorrow, following sisters as they navigate love, loss, and ambition.

Melancholic, warm · about coming-of-age and grief

Via: melancholic
warm
coming-of-age
grief
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 115 min

Details

Little WomenHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

A bittersweet, nostalgic first-love story that slowly builds warmth before landing a quiet, aching gut-punch. Gentle and sincere, it lingers on youthful longing and the sting of what was never explained.

Melancholic, warm · about coming-of-age and grief

Via: melancholic
warm
coming-of-age
grief
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 119 min

Details

20th Century GirlHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

My Girl

1991

A tender, bittersweet childhood summer that balances quirky small-town humour with a raw, honest look at loss and growing up.

Same composer: James Newton Howard · Melancholic, warm · about coming-of-age and grief

Also: Same composer: James Newton Howard
Via: melancholic
warm
coming-of-age
grief
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 103 min

Details

My GirlHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Fabelmans

2022

A tender, bittersweet memory piece that unfolds gently, letting you watch a boy fall in love with movies while his family quietly comes apart.

Melancholic, warm · about coming-of-age and family

Via: melancholic
warm
coming-of-age
family
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 151 min

Details

The FabelmansHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Blue Valentine

2010

A raw, emotionally draining portrait of a marriage falling apart, told with painful intimacy and realism.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about grief and family

Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
family
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: demanding
Runtime: 112 min

Details

Blue ValentineHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Blue Is the Warmest Colour

2013

An intimate, slow immersion into one woman's desire and heartbreak, so close and raw that everyday moments ache with longing.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about coming-of-age and love

Via: melancholic
earnest
coming-of-age
love
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 180 min

Details

Blue Is the Warmest ColourHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream

MGM Plus Amazon Channel

Free

YouTube Free

Rent or buy

Apple TV Store
Amazon Video
Sky Store
YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: drama, romance
Directed by: Robert Mulligan
Written by: Jenny Wingfield
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Jason London, Emily Warfield, Sam Waterston, Tess Harper, Gail Strickland, Bentley Mitchum, Ernie Lively
Music: James Newton Howard
Cinematography: Freddie Francis
Runtime: 99 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English

TMDB IMDb Letterboxd Wikipedia Wikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.

The Man in the Moon

How it feels

More like this

Titles like The Man in the Moon

Where to watch in the UK

Details