“Getting divorced with a kid is one of the hardest things to do. It’s like a death without a body.” - Bert Spitz
Marriage Story is a drama starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as Nicole and Charlie, a married couple who is going through the process of getting a divorce. The film is directed by Noah Baumbach and also stars Ray Liotta, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Wallace Shawn. It was given a limited release in theaters in November, but got a wide release on Netflix on December 6th.
Marriage Story is a wonderful film, but also an upsetting one. The entire movie is about navigating through the incredibly difficult, strange, and taxing process of divorce, and what that will mean for not only the two divorcees, but also their friends, family, and their young son Henry. It can be hard to sit through at times, and it will most likely make you shed some tears. In fact, it made me cry not once, but twice. The movie is often painful to watch, however, the things that I found most upsetting about the film are not what you might expect.
There is only one major argument scene in the film, and when it happens, it’s heartbreaking. But what upset me the most was how unnecessarily complicated the divorce process is. There is constant tension and emotion, but save for the argument scene, none of the characters ever have chances to show their feelings. They are under immense pressure, and are bombarded by constant judgement, scrutiny, nosiness, and unwanted pity. All of the prying eyes and invasive methods force the characters to bottle up their emotions, which is incredibly unfair, and made me really sad.
Marriage Story reminds me greatly of the 1979 classic Kramer vs. Kramer, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. In Marriage Story, we get to see Adam Driver’s struggles with facing the thought that his son may never get to spend as much time with him again, which was the same struggle that was given to Hoffman’s character in Kramer vs. Kramer. However, something about Marriage Story that was very different from Kramer vs. Kramer is that we also get equal time with both parents.
In Kramer vs. Kramer, we never really got any alone time with Meryl Streep’s character. The film mainly focused on the bond between Hoffman and his son. But in Marriage Story, we see both points of view. We get time with Johansson, and time with Driver, which I really liked. Speaking of Johansson and Driver, they are both excellent. They both give performances that are restrained, but at the same time, emotional, and real. The supporting cast is also incredible.
The camerawork and editing are beautiful, and the color pallette is gorgeous. The sets are usually very barren and empty, which really fits with the sad tone of the film, and makes you feel as if you have lost something along with the characters. Randy Newman wrote the music for the movie, and I think that choosing him to write the score was the best choice Baumbach could’ve made in that regard. Newman does a wonderful job at evoking pure emotion in his score.
As for issues I have with the movie, there are many, many minor characters that were just unbearable, particularly Scarlett Johansson’s mother. I get that her character was supposed to be humorous, but I thought she was terribly annoying. Don’t get me wrong, Julie Hagerty does an amazing job at playing the character, but I thought her motives were very selfish, and that annoyed me, because I don’t really think that was the point of her character. I also thought there were some scenes in the beginning that went by too slowly.
In the end, I will say that Marriage Story is a very good movie. It gives you a lot to think about, and the more I think about the film, the more I like it. But because of its depressing nature, I think it could be awhile before I muster up the emotional fortitude to watch it again. Marriage Story is incredibly acted, and very well made. If you get the chance, the film is definitely worth watching, just be prepared to feel emotionally drained after watching it.
Rating: R
Grade: B+
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