Best movies like What Maisie Knew
Based on the novel by Henry James
A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like What Maisie Knew Starring Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, Alexander Skarsgård, Joanna Vanderham, and more. If you liked What Maisie Knew then you may also like: You're Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson, Who Gets the Dog?, One Potato, Two Potato, Kramer vs. Kramer, Nanny Cam and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.
The story frames on 7-year-old Maisie, caught in a custody battle between her mother – a rock and roll icon – and her father. What Maisie Knew is an evocative portrayal of the chaos of adult life seen entirely from a child’s point of view.
What Maisie Knew
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Who Gets the Dog?
A couple going through a divorce squabble over custody of their beloved dog.
One Potato, Two Potato
Study of interracial marriage in the 1960s. A white divorcée falls in love with and marries an African-American man. When her ex-husband sues for custody of her child, arguing that a mixed household is an improper place to raise the girl, the new husband fights for his parental rights in court, fighting against a judge who represents the prejudices of the era.
Kramer vs. Kramer
Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy.
Nanny Cam
Linda has a seemingly perfect marriage with her rugged and handsome husband Mark and an adorable 8 year old daughter, Chloe. But when Chloe is injured by an elderly babysitter who has slipped into dementia, Linda wants to ensure that her child is never hurt again. Initially, Heather, the new babysitter, seems like the ideal addition to this practically perfect family. But Heather is a schemer who exploits the cracks in Mark and Linda's relationship, and delights in the resulting chaos. As Linda later learns, to her horror, Heather's intentions go far beyond the mischievous.
Child of Divorce
An eight-year-old girl is an unwilling and disturbed witness of parental quarrels in her home, and when the parents finally secure a divorce, the judge decrees that the young girl live with her mother for eight months and her father the other four months. The divided life affects her both mentally and physically.
Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
In 2008, New York mother Tiffany Rubin faced every parent's worst nightmare when her six year old son Kobe vanished into thin air. Upon learning that Kobe had been kidnapped by his biological father and taken to South Korea, Tiffany seeks the assistance of American Association for Lost Children representative Mark Miller, who guides her through the arduous process of traveling to Korea, and getting Kobe back.
Consenting Adults
Richard and Priscilla Parker are an ordinary suburban couple whose lives are invaded and rocked by their hedonistic, secretive new neighbors, Eddy and Kay Otis.
Dark Water
Dahlia Williams and her daughter Cecelia move into a rundown apartment on New York's Roosevelt Island. Dahlia is in the midst of divorce proceedings, and the apartment, though near an excellent school for her daughter, is all she can afford. From the time she arrives, there are mysterious occurrences—and there is a constant drip from the ceiling in her daughter's bedroom…
Found Alive
When a California mother loses custody of her young son to her ex-husband, she flees with the child to the jungles of Mexico with hopes of starting life anew.
I Am Sam
Sam, a neurodivergent man, has a daughter with a homeless woman who abandons them when they leave the hospital, leaving Sam to raise Lucy on his own. But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations as a parent start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Sam convinces high-priced lawyer Rita to take his case pro bono and in turn teaches her the value of love and family.
Losing Isaiah
Khaila Richards, a crack-addicted single mother, accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. In reality, the baby has been adopted by a warm-hearted social worker, Margaret Lewin, and her husband, Charles. Years later, Khaila has gone through rehab and holds a steady job. After learning that her child is still alive, she challenges Margaret for the custody.
Left Luggage
While escaping from Nazis during the WWII, a Jewish man dug suitcases full of things dear to his heart in the ground two. The war deprived him of his family, and afterwards he endlessly turns over the soil of Antwerp to find the suitcases, which makes him look obsessed. He keeps checking old maps and keeps digging, trying to find, in fact, those he lost. His daughter Chaya is a beautiful modern girl looking for a part-time job. She finds a place as a nanny in the strictly observant Chassidic family with many children, although her secular manners clearly fly in the face of many commandments. One of the reasons she is accepted is that mother of the family is absolutely overburdened by the household, so she stays despite the resistance of the father, normally - an indisputable authority in the family. She develops a special bond with the youngest of the boys, four-year old Simcha, so far incapable of speaking.
Made in Italy
A bohemian artist travels from London to Italy with his estranged son to sell the house they inherited from his late wife.
The Possession
A young girl buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl's father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child.
Problem Child 2
Junior and his father, Ben, move from Cold River to Mortville. Junior becomes threatened by Ben's desire to date again and find a new mother for Junior, and sabotages each of his dates.
The Squid and the Whale
Based on the true childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach and his brother, The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.
Stardust
David Bowie went to America for the first time to promote his third album, The Man Who Sold the World. There, he embarked on a coast-to-coast publicity tour. During this tour, Bowie came up with the idea of his iconic Ziggy Stardust character, inspired by artists like Iggy Pop and Lou Reed.
Sylvia Scarlett
When her father decides to flee to England, young Sylvia Scarlett must become Sylvester Scarlett and protect her father every step of the way, with the questionable help of plenty others.
Thunder Road
A police officer faces a personal meltdown following a divorce and the death of his mother.
Separation
A young girl finds solace in her artist father and the ghost of her dead mother.
The Good Mother
After finding a sexually liberated boyfriend, a divorced woman gets sued over daughter's custody, by her ex, who claims that her lover has a bad influence on the kid.
Table for Five
J.P. Tannen (Jon Voight) wants a second chance to be a father to his children ... but someone else has taken his place. Determined not to just be a friendly 'uncle' in their lives, he gets permission from his ex-wife Kathleen (Millie Perkins) and her new husband (Richard Crenna) to take the kids on a Mediterranean cruise. On the journey he comes to realise it's not that easy and, feeling overwhelmed, begins to doubt his abilities until a tragedy back home forces him to become the father he always hoped to be.
Man on Fire
Bitter over their divorce, a wealthy businessman prevents his ex-wife from seeing their child. She then takes him to custody court and a judge tries to determine what will be best for the child.
The Lottery
Four children enter a high-stakes lottery. If they win, they can attend one of the best schools in New York. A look at the crisis in public education, The Lottery makes the case than any child can succeed.
My Perestroika
Tells the story of five people from the last generation of Soviet children who were brought up behind the Iron Curtain. Just coming of age when the USSR collapsed, they witnessed the world of their childhood crumble and change beyond recognition. Through the lives of these former schoolmates, this intimate film reveals how they have adjusted to their post-Soviet reality in today's Moscow.
Summer Girl
When seductive young Cinni comes to babysit for a troubled couple, she's after more than extra spending money. Starting with the kids and working around to the husband, evil Cinni plots to take over a young mother's life--ruthlessly dealing with anyone who gets in her way.
Dead Before Dawn
Based upon a true story. Wife with young family finds life becoming unbearable with her successful, but violent and abusive, husband. After filing for divorce, she quickly learns that her husband, through fear of his personal life embarrassing his clients, has commissioned an assassin to murder her before going to court. Unfortunately, for him, the hired assassin turns out to be an FBI agent. The FBI convince her that she must “pretend” to have been murdered in order to prove her husband’s involvement.
A Fight for Jenny
When Kelsey remarries, her struggle to get custody of her daughter from her first marriage is complicated by her current husband being black.
Liar, Liar: Between Father and Daughter
The true story of an eleven year old girl who has a reputation for telling tall tales. So when she accuses her father of molesting her, will anybody believe her story?
A Father for Brittany
Keith and Kim Lussier are a childless couple who are given custody of a 3-month-old foster child, Brittany. However, tragedy strikes when Kim dies of cancer in the middle of the adoption process, leaving Keith to fight for Brittany's custody alone.
Custody of the Heart
Claire's number one priority is her family. When her husband Dennis loses his stockbroker job, the couple's traditional family roles switch. As Dennis takes on his new stay-at-home role, Claire's furniture design business takes off. Just as she's beginning to master the art of balancing her home and work life, Dennis serves her with divorce papers and charges her with being an unfit mother. Claire discovers that in a modern courtroom there are still traditional biases unsympathetic to the idea of a woman working three jobs, as a wife, an entrepreneur and a mother.
Midnight's Child
Spooky tale of a lawyer who sees Satan in the Swiss au pair she and her artist husband have hired for their young daughter.
Fatal Memories
Fact based story about a woman who after 20 years starts having memories of her own molestation by her father and the murder of one of her childhood playmates by him.
Scandal: The Trial of Mary Astor
This documentary recounts the difficult choice actress Mary Astor had to make after learning her personal, very intimate, diaries had been stolen. The film tells the story of Astor's 1936 child custody case.
Mom's Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mothers' Custody Movement
While the fight for LGBTQ Civil Rights movement was gaining momentum, the 1970s witnessed horrific custody battles for lesbian mothers. Mom's Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mothers’ Custody Movement revisits the early tumultuous years of the lesbian custody movement through the stories of five lesbian mothers and their four children. Narrated by Kate Clinton, the documentary interviews the sons and daughters who were separated from their mothers, the mothers themselves, and one woman who made the difficult decision to flee with her children.
Her Desperate Choice
Despite allegations of child sexual abuse against Jody's ex-husband Marcus, the court orders joint custody of their daughter Samantha. Jody faces a choice of turning Samantha over to Marcus, or taking her on the run and risk kidnapping charges. Pursued by both the FBI and a private detective, Jody and Samantha are hunted, fleeing from town to town with the help of an underground network set up to help women and children escape from abuse. Based on a true story.
Don't Divorce Me! Kids' Rules for Parents on Divorce
A group of children, ages 5 to 9, share their advice for parents to help kids adjust and cope when families go through a divorce. Through drawings, songs, photos and memories, these children share their stories of how divorce has impacted their lives. The result is a rare chance for parents to hear kids' insightful, funny, and often heartfelt thoughts on how to do a better job.
Gone Mom: The Disappearance of Jennifer Dulos
Jennifer Dulos, the wealthy, Connecticut mother-of-five who mysteriously vanished.
In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness
After a very messy divorce, a man starts suspecting his ex-wife and her new boyfriend of various crimes.
When Innocence Is Lost
When Erica French opts to keep the baby she conceived in high school, she never dreamed that one day she would be fighting for custody against the child's father, Scott Stone. Scott Stone initially fought for custody when Erica threatened to cut off his access to their daughter. Scott continues to try to be a part of his daughter's life, but when Molly first breaks her arm at the playground then Scott's mother finds mysterious bruises on her granddaughter, Scott again fights for custody of young Molly, and this time he wins because the court feels his family can provide a more stable environment for Molly than a public daycare can.
Whose Daughter is She?
Two mothers, one biological, one stepmother, fight for the custody and love of 13-year-old Andrea.
Merrily We Roll Along
Triple Olivier Award-winner Maria Friedman makes an extraordinary directorial debut with a flawless cast. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, Merrily We Roll Along starts in 1980 and travels backwards in time. This powerful and moving story features some of Sondheim’s most beautiful songs including "Good Thing Going", "Not a Day Goes by" and "Old Friends".
The More Love Grows
When Helen’s husband unexpectedly asks for a separation just after they’ve dropped off their daughter at college, she struggles to navigate her new-found single status. Thanks to a stray dog who enters her life and the friendship of a helpful veterinarian, Helen rediscovers her strength and begins to forge a new path.
You're Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson
Documentary about rock pioneer Roky Erickson, detailing his rise as a psychedelic hero, his lengthy institutionalization, his descent into poverty and filth, and his brother's struggle with their religious mother to improve Roky's care.