A Brief History Of May-December Romances On The Silver Screen

Even if you're not familiar with the phrase "May-December romance," you've definitely seen one out in the wild — and without a doubt on the silver screen. When you notice that one member of a couple is much older than the other, then you've stumbled upon the trope in action. Another thing you've probably picked up on: In heterosexual iterations of these relationships, it's typically the man who has more than a couple years on his female partner.

While of course there are plenty of exceptions — both on-screen and in the real world (Demi Moore, we're looking at you) — the truth is that you're just more likely to see an older man with a young woman. Kevin Spacey's latest flick, Nine Lives, is no exception to that rule. In it, he plays a work-obsessed exec married to Jennifer Garner's character, and he gets turned into a cat in a last-ditch effort to save his relationship with his family.

Spacey, by the way, is 57 to Garner's 44. And while that's not the widest age gap we've ever encountered, they are a full middle school graduation apart. So what other big-screen couples fall into that camp? We've pulled together a list of the most memorable May-December love matches in movies. Spoiler: Some of these lovers aren't even in the same generation.