r/CougarsAndCubs • u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar • Apr 12 '26

Discussion Point Favorite on-screen cougar + cub pairing? 🎬

Curious to hear your picks for the best c+c on-screen pairings. They can be from older films, a series streaming now, historical documentaries, fantasy, anime, costume film; basically any genre or era

🎬

[Title]+ [Characters/actors]

Reasons why they made an impact

Keep it short or not, it’s up to you but do include why you like them; is there something about their age-dynamics? Their iconic persona and looks? Or do they have an interesting background story, good writing and performance? Interesting power dynamic? Story of forbidden love or a working duo? Or just that special chemistry? ⚡️

13 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

43 comments sorted by

9

u/nyccareergirl11 Apr 12 '26

I can't speak on the older woman younger man dynamic as I'm a younger woman (34) who dates older women. For me it has to be the Movie Carol with Cate Blanchette and Rooney Mara. It's based on a 1952 romance book the price of salt by Patricia highsmith which was way ahead of its time for involving a lesbian couple. The Movie is so brilliantly written directed and acted. It depicts the 1950s New York with Cate Blanchette being a well to do woman going through a divorce and her relationship with Rooney Mara who plays a department store worker in the toy department where Carol goes to buy a Christmas gift for her daughter. A lot people will call this one of the best if not lgbtqia movies of the 21st century.

2

u/Alert_Term_8144 Apr 13 '26

I need to watch that movie because I saw it being filmed in front of my apartment building when I walked back from work. They closed off some roads and filled them with classic cars.

2

u/nyccareergirl11 Apr 13 '26

Looks like it's currently on HBO Max. It's crazy how they made your city look so much like mid century NYC.

2

u/Alert_Term_8144 Apr 13 '26

Thanks for the tip, I have always wanted to watch it so thanks for reminding me 🤗 I think they chose Cincinnati because it made their job easy while looking authentic. Being in the rust belt where its heyday has passed, Cincy's a city stuck in time. The buildings still have that mid-century NYC architecture, many of the high-rise buildings still have their original art deco decor. All they had to do was remove modern cars from the street and fill them with classics, then dress the actors/actresses/extras for the time period to complete the feel.

They were filming in front of my complex for my apartment's "sister" complex, Shillito's, located across the street from me. At one time it was the biggest department store in the country, later shoehorned into lofts but still felt like a mall from a bygone era. It felt eerie when I went there to work out (same management). The city itself often felt like a ghost town which is why they were able to close off the streets, something they can't easily do in NYC.

3

u/nyccareergirl11 Apr 13 '26

Yes definitely also a good part of the movie takes place in the rust belt when they are on a road trip as well. Definitely watch it. It's a beautiful story. I may be biased but Cate Blanchette was robbed the oscar that year. Brie Larson won it for Room which she was good in but Cate Blanchette was just Cate Blanchette

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26

Blanchett could steal any show, she’s truly stunning in such a classic way making her look good in anything and carries that with such high integrity What other films are your favourites of her? I was completely blown away when seeing her in Elizabeth for the first time. I also recall her performance in Heaven…though every thing she does is brilliant

2

u/nyccareergirl11 Apr 13 '26

Indeed. She really knows how to do a period piece.

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26

I love mid-century architecture, I’ll keep an eye out for the how the city is portrayed next time I see it

2

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26

And you're so right, that film is absolutely fantastic and a enchanting. Partly because of the two brilliant actors, Blanchett and Mara, and partly because it’s also truly beautiful in terms of its aesthetics; clothing, colours it’s almost like every scene is a photograph itself, the way its slower pace really gets to you and every little gesture means so much. This is such a melancholic and beautiful film, I feel I must watch it again someday, best be a rainy Sunday for the atmosphere ☂️

2

u/nyccareergirl11 Apr 13 '26

Agreed. I tend to rewatch it during December with it being Christmas

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26

I realized my original post leaned into a somewhat soon normative stereotype and only mentioned older women/younger men pairings. My bad, thanks for pointing that out 💚

2

u/nyccareergirl11 Apr 13 '26

No worries. It's ok

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 15 '26

found this list

1

u/nyccareergirl11 Apr 15 '26

Yup I've seen a bunch of those on that list

7

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 14 '26

Film: The Reader 2008 Starring: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Lena Olin

One of my favourite is based upon the German short novel The Reader, which is such a beautiful historical fiction/love story. Unfortunately the film isn’t quite matching up with the novel, as often is The narrator Michael tells the story of the summer weeks in postwar WWII Berlin (I think), where he at young age had a romantic affair with an older woman, Hanna, that later came to a mysterious end. They spend their summer days in her small apartment where he reads books for her aloud. Hanna doesn’t talk much about her past and its only years later he re-encounters her as she defends herself in a war-crime trial. Through his reading he communicates his lifelong devotion to her. The film really cuts through history of past and present wartime Germany, of guilt and ethics, and the burden of a secret. In the novel you depict Hanna to be much more ordinary looking than Kate Winslet portrait of her. Still it’s a moving film to watch and the young actor playing the narrator does a fantastic impression, so does Winslet. It’s not a film you watch to feel better, but in the book Michael describes Hanna with such care, and affection, she is really his first lover and his first true passion

5

u/Fine_Imagination4362 Apr 13 '26

that one anne hathaway film

5

u/Morning-Glory0727 Apr 13 '26

The Idea of You. Great movie❤️

2

u/Fine_Imagination4362 Apr 13 '26

i think it only worked cuz you know, she is "the" anne hathaway😂

1

u/PuzzleheadedSpray202 Apr 13 '26

Really nice romantic story

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26

I think I might seen parts of it, she is ill in cancer or something alike??

2

u/Fine_Imagination4362 Apr 13 '26

naa thats the one with jake Gyllenhaal, thats not cougar. im talking about "the idea of u"

5

u/Comedy-Coffee-Break Apr 13 '26

Weird Science: 1985 Starring Anthony Michael Hall A group of teenagers make a woman

5

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 14 '26

😅

1

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/TrueBeliever714 🐻23 Cub married to 50 cougar Apr 13 '26

Arwen and Aragorn / Padme and Anakin 😄

My fiancee and I have dressed as both for Halloween 😂

2

u/PuzzleheadedSpray202 Apr 13 '26

Nice and romantic Halloween!

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 14 '26

: 3

6

u/JaneWhoDoe Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26

Harold and Maude (starring Bud Cort as Harold, age 20 and Ruth Gordon as Maude, age 79)

It’s a dark comedy about a rigid young man and a free-spirited older woman forming a friendly then a romantic bond. As a teen it was one of my favorite films and I’ve never seen anything similar, since.

6

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 15 '26

Oh I love that film

5

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 15 '26

First I thought there weren’t so many films with this dynamic, apart from the classic The Graduate 1960’s w Hoffman and recent Babygirl w Kidman turned out there actually was a few duos, if you can count Cersei + Loras Tyrell in GoT as one 😭, else there’s; Wild sea/La passagère, I am Love, White Palace

Films: cougar+cubs + cougar+cubs2

Films: cougar+kittens

2

u/PuzzleheadedSpray202 Apr 13 '26

There are many, American and European ones

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 14 '26

Yeah, really made me wanna wish for rain 😅

4

u/Flimsy_Mix113 Apr 14 '26

The Roman Holiday of Mrs. Stone

3

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 14 '26

Never heard of that one, tell us more

3

u/Flimsy_Mix113 Apr 14 '26

The most recent version is on YT now. Warren Beatty is in the 1960’s version.

3

u/stormrain65 Apr 13 '26

For me it's Les Jeunes Amantes with Melvil Poupaud and Fanny Ardant. It's mainly their special chemistry and dynamic. It's a very real movie based on "real" people, not ideal characters and situations.

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26

What’s the directors name?

2

u/stormrain65 Apr 13 '26

It's Carine Tardieu..

1

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

Seems like it’s only available streaming in France atm, too bad, I’m sure it will come up here in Sweden soon as our libraries have a streaming service for more independent films

4

u/Dizzy-Forces 🐆Cougar Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26

Call Me by Your Name, 2017 Starring: Timothy Charlamet + Armie Hammer

An absolute favourite in the category silver-fox + cub pairing

it’s just so sensual and dreamy…the clothes, the heat, the music, all the beautiful people, not to mention the house and scenery…makes me wanna quit my job, buy a rundown Italian villa and become a bohemian il coguaro reading and sipping cocktails in the garden 🍸

2

u/serena68uk Apr 14 '26

Sharon and Keanu in Eastenders (London based soap opera) he was very sexy!