The Idea of You is centered around an unconventional romance seen in many romantic comedies before it. The Idea of You follows the love story between an older single mother, Solène (Anne Hathaway) and a young pop star, Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine). Based on a book under the same name, The Idea of You changes details from the original text, but the complications of Solène and Hayes’ relationship stay the same. Due to Hayes and Solène’s age difference and the former’s public persona, the two are made to keep their relationship hidden from the media and fans of Hayes’ beloved boy band.
Both Hathaway and Galitzine have starred in romantic comedies before, but among their previous work, The Idea of You lands at the top with critics and audiences. Just like Solène and Hayes’ relationship, other romantic comedies feature couples that work surprisingly well despite initial circumstances. Romantic comedies with comparable plots have also incorporated shared tropes of age gaps and hidden relationships, making them the ideal follow-ups after The Idea of You.
The age gap between Solène and Hayes plays a large part in their dynamic. It’s because of their age difference that Solène is hesitant to begin a relationship with Hayes in the first place, and it’s also the talking point of the public once their relationship is exposed. Like The Idea of You, another romantic comedy centered around an age-gap relationship is I Could Never Be Your Woman (the lead characters’ daughter has the same name too).
Rosie (Michelle Pfeiffer), 40, hires Adam (Paul Rudd), 29, for her TV show, and as the two get to know one another, romantic feelings start to develop. Unlike The Idea of You, I Could Never Be Your Woman largely addresses Rosie’s insecurities about her age by introducing an internal voice in Rosie’s head known as Mother Nature. Additionally, while Adam doesn’t start as a worldwide celebrity like Hayes does, his growing fame worries Rosie about the strength of their relationship.
Another romantic comedy starring Anne Hathaway is Love & Other Drugs. Opposite Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jamie, Hathaway plays Maggie, a patient diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Their relationship starts casual but becomes more serious when Jamie realizes the gravity of Maggie’s diagnosis. What starts as a lighthearted romantic comedy, Love & Other Drugs quickly adds elements of drama.
The weight of Maggie’s future impacts not only her relationship with Jamie but the tone of the film as well. While other romantic comedies can feel unrealistic and targeted towards a younger audience, Love & Other Drugs ensures the film holds its adult feel. Though critics felt some of the side plots and characters were unnecessary, the performances and chemistry of the lead actors are undeniable. Specifically, Hathaway’s performance in Love & Other Drugs is strong and emotional, and grounds much of the film.
In The Idea of You, Solène is an art gallery owner whose job is an optimal cover-up for her romantic relationship with Hayes. Art isn’t as crucial of a role in Solène and Hayes’ relationship as her age or his fame is, but it acts as the starting point of their connection when Hayes makes his interest in Solène clear by buying out her gallery. Elements of the art world and secret identities can also be found in the 2024 film, Upgraded.
Interning in the art world, Ana (Camila Mendes) is hopeful of making it big one day. While on a work trip to London, Ana meets William (Archie Renaux) and lies about her position at work, appearing to be higher up than she is. Having kept the lie going for too long and fearing William wouldn’t want to be with her if he were to discover the truth, Ana carries on living a double life.
Before The Idea of You, Nicholas Galitzine played another character under the spotlight, hiding his relationship from the public. In Red, White & Royal Blue, Galitzine plays Henry, a British prince who is forced to convince the public of his friendship with Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the first son of the United States. The two end up falling in love, but their relationship is complicated due to their high-profile positions.
Unlike Hayes in The Idea of You, who is fully sure of his feelings towards Solène, Henry takes time to be comfortable with his sexuality and feelings for Alex. Henry is worried about royal tradition and his anonymity and because of this, he isn’t ready to be in a public relationship with Alex. Red, White & Royal Blue has endearing leading performances from Perez and Galitzine, paired with a great amount of charm and humor.
An important part of Solène’s character is her rediscovery of love following her divorce. The Idea of You shows Solène as a dedicated and present mother and business owner, but she doesn’t have the post-divorce life her ex-husband has. Similarly, the titular character in How Stella Got Her Groove Back (Angela Bassett) is also 40 years old and without a romantic partner. In each of their respective films, the women’s spontaneous trips introduce them to younger men.
Solène unexpectedly meets Hayes when she attends Coachella at the last minute and Stella’s trip to Jamaica introduces her to a chef’s assistant, William (Taye Diggs). Hayes and William are equally determined in their pursuit of the women, eventually winning them over with their charm and dedication. Where Solène and Hayes’ conflict comes from the latter’s fame, Stella begins to doubt her relationship with William when she begins to examine their differing levels of maturity and life experiences.
Sally Field stars as the titular character in Hello, My Name Is Doris. Before her mother’s passing, Doris spent much of her time tending to her mother’s needs and, as a result, was unable to socialize with friends and lacked the experience others her age have. When Doris falls head over heels for John (Max Greenfield), her younger co-worker, she fantasizes about a relationship with him.
Unsure of how to approach John because of her inexperience with love, Doris creates a fake social media account to learn more about him. Like Solène and Hayes, the first signs of sparks between Doris and John occur when they’re at a concert together. In place of media scrutiny and paparazzi stalking, the biggest obstacle Doris has to overcome is confessing her love. Hello, My Name Is Doris also ends similarly to The Idea of You in that, the status of John and Doris’ relationship is implied but what exactly occurs after their exchanged smiles is left for the audience to imagine.
As seen in The Idea of You, being of boy band fame comes with a lot of unwanted attention and opinions from others that make relationships difficult to manage. Long Shot has a similar message at its core but swaps the stadium stage for the Oval Office and follows the unlikely pairing of Charlotte (Charlize Theron) and Fred (Seth Rogen). Once the U.S. Secretary of State and now aspiring to run for president, Charlotte is advised to reconsider her relationship with the ordinary journalist, keeping the public’s reception in mind.
Both films examine the downsides to one’s success and show how relationships don’t mix well with fame, often requiring the choice of one over the other. Long Shot doesn’t take itself too seriously and leans into comedy more than The Idea of You, including an adventurous night with Charlotte and Fred under the influence of drugs. Theron and Rogen have delightful chemistry that supports the playfulness of the oddly matched couple.
The lead of Enough Said, Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), has a lot in common with Solène; they are both divorced moms with a teenage daughter who keep their new relationship a secret. While Solène makes sure to keep her relationship status hidden from her loved ones and the public, Eva is only concerned about one person. Soon after she falls in love with Albert (James Gandolfini), she realizes he is the ex-husband of her new massage client and friend.
Eva’s secrecy continues when she lies to Albert about her friendship with his ex-wife. The plots of The Idea of You and Enough Said don’t have more in common, but they are both full of charm and a believable romance between their respective couples. Partly due to Enough Said‘s script, Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini’s performances have been described by critics as grounded and vulnerable.
Sharing a similar premise, The Idea of You and Notting Hill is the perfect double feature. Like The Idea of You, Notting Hill features a complicated relationship with a celebrity. As a bookstore owner, Will (Hugh Grant) finds himself in a relationship with a famous actress, Anna (Julia Roberts). The public invades the privacy of their relationship, similar to Solène and Hayes’ in The Idea of You.
Both films explore fame and attention’s negative impact on the couples’ relationships. In Notting Hill, Anna is shown as being impacted the most due to her longtime position in the spotlight. However, The Idea of You doesn’t show Hayes struggling with the negativity online. Instead, it follows Solène as she reads harmful comments towards her and deals with the strain put on her relationship with her daughter.