Watchalikes for Z: The Beginning of Everything

Zelda Fitzgerald
Zelda Fitzgerald. Image via Wikipedia.

On April 3, 1920, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald were married in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, beginning a tortured and tumultuous relationship that saw both writers suffer through years of drug abuse, depression, and acrimony, culminating in F. Scott Fitzgerald's plunge into alcoholism and Zelda's confinement to a mental hospital. The story of Zelda's life and her marriage to Fitzgerald was most recently told in the Amazon TV series Z: The Beginning of Everything, which was released in January. If you were hooked on Z and its unflinching depiction of a marriage of creative minds troubled by jealously, alcoholism, mental problems and an indulgent lifestyle, then these films and television series will be right up your alley.

Big Eyes2014

Big Eyes

Of the many conflicts in Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald's marraige, chief among them was his plagiarism of her writings, most notably the use of entire passages from her diary in his novel, The Beautiful and Damned, published in 1922. For another example of a story of a husband stealing his wife's work and reaping the benefits, look to Tim Burton's film Big Eyes, a biography of Margaret Keane and her husband Walter, who claimed authorship of her paintings in the 1950's and 60's.

La Vie en Rose, 2007

La Vie en Rose

For another deeply moving biographical film about a talented female artist whose life was marred by tragedy, heartbreak, and drug abuse, check out La Vie en Rose, which tells the story of famed singer Edith Piaf's life and career. This tragic tale is a real tearjerker thanks to a knockout performance by Marion Cotillard in the leading role, which garnered her an Academy Award.

Frida, 2002

Frida

From the world of tempestuous artist relationships comes Frida, the Julie Taymor film starring Salma Hayek as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, had multiple affairs over the course of their marriage, and their relationship was also mired in professional conflict, as Rivera was far more acclaimed during their lifetime than she was -- just like how F. Scott Fitzgerald's writings overshadowed his wife's during the 1920's.

Californication, 2007-2014

Californication

On the lighter side, Californication is a fictional TV series about novelist Hank Moody, whose drug-addled exploits and philandering keep him apart from his estranged wife and daughter in modern-day Los Angeles. This edgy, pulpy dramedy frequently focuses on the hedonism of the creative upper class elite, drawing close comparisons to the similar epicureanism of the Fitzgeralds and the rest of the Lost Generation.

Midnight in Paris, 2011

Midnight in Paris

If you're looking for another comedy, try Midnight in Paris, which features F. Scott Fitzgerald himself as a character in this story about about nostalgia and escapism. Struggling writer Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) goes on vacation with his fiance to Paris, only to be strangely whisked away to the Roaring 20's each night, where he meets American ex-pats Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Gertrude Stein. If nostalgia for the days of flapper dresses and big band swing is what drew you to Z, then this Woody Allen classic is definitely for you.

Got any other great shows or movies related to Z: The Beginning of Everything? Let us know in the comments!