Taglines: Chapter Two: The Affair Begins
When Maggie (Greta Gerwig), a young and independent New Yorker, decides to become a single mother and inseminate herself with the help of a former college acquaintance (Travis Fimmel), she appears to be – as always – in perfect control of her life. Yet, this meticulously planned transaction nonetheless runs up against the unpredictability of fate when Maggie falls for a “ficto-critical anthropologist” named John (Ethan Hawke), whose marriage to Georgette (Julianne Moore)- a brilliant but time-consuming Columbia University Professor – is falling apart.
A few years later, when Maggie – now married to John – realizes she’s falling out of love with her new husband, she comes up with yet another “perfect plan”: reuniting him with his ex-wife!
Maggie’s Plan is an American romantic comedy film directed and written by Rebecca Miller, based on the original story by Karen Rinaldi. The film stars Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel, Wallace Shawn, Ida Rohatyn, Monte Greene and Julianne Moore. The film had its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2015. The film is scheduled to be released on May 20, 2016, by Sony Pictures Classics.
About the Story
Maggie Hardin, the director of business development and outreach for the art and design students at the New School, decides she wants to have a child and enlists a former college acquaintance, Guy Childers, a math major and pickle entrepreneur, to donate his sperm.
At the university, she gets to know John Harding, a “ficto-critical anthropologist”, who is married to a tenured professor at Columbia University. Repeatedly bumping into each other on campus, John confides in Maggie that he is writing a novel. Maggie begins reading it, and they start meeting on a regular basis to talk about the novel.
Maggie attempts to inseminate herself but is interrupted by the doorbell. It is John, who confesses that he is in love with her and wants to be the father of her child.
Three years later Maggie and John are married, and they have a daughter, Lily. Maggie repeatedly finds herself having to put her professional goals on the back burner to take care of Lily and her two step-children and to support John’s writing. Taking Lily for a walk she runs into Guy, who initially thinks Lily is his daughter but Maggie tells him that Lily is John’s child.
Maggie goes to see Georgette, John’s ex-wife, at a book signing. She approaches Georgette and tells her that she knows Georgette is still in love with John and that she wants to help them get back together. Georgette decides to go along with the plan, and asks for Maggie’s help getting John to attend a conference which she will also be attending. At the conference, Georgette and John make up and sleep together. Returning home, John confesses everything to Maggie who tells him he belongs with Georgette.
Maggie’s Plan
Directed by: Rebecca Miller
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Travis Fimmel, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Mina Sundwall, Maya Rudolph, Kathleen Hanna, Sue Jean Kim
Screenplay by: Rebecca Miller
Production Design by: Alexandra Schaller
Cinematography by: Sam Levy
Film Editing by: Sabine Hoffman
Costume Design by: Malgosia Turzanska
Set Decoration by: Kendall Anderson
Art Direction by: Brian Goodwin
Music by: Michael Rohatyn
MPAA Rating: R for language and some sexuality.
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: May 20, 2016
Visits: 46
