Charlie Barber is a successful theater director in New York City. His theater company is currently producing a play that stars his wife Nicole, a former teen film actress. The couple is experiencing marital troubles and sees a mediator, who suggests that they each write down what they like about one another, but Nicole is too embarrassed to read hers aloud and they decide to forgo the counseling.
Nicole is offered a starring role in a television pilot in Los Angeles, and she decides to leave the theater company and temporarily live with her mother in West Hollywood, taking the couple’s young son Henry with her. Charlie decides to stay in New York, as the play is in the process of moving to Broadway. Despite the couple agreeing to split amicably and forgo lawyers, Nicole hires family lawyer Nora.
Nicole tells Nora the full story of her relationship with Charlie and how she gradually felt neglected by him and how he rejects her ideas and desires. Nicole also reveals that she thinks Charlie slept with the stage manager of the theater company. Charlie flies out to Los Angeles to visit his family, bringing with him good news of winning a MacArthur Fellowship grant, but not before Nicole serves him divorce papers.
Charlie meets with Jay Marotta, a brash and expensive lawyer who urges Charlie to fight dirty, but Charlie returns to New York without hiring him. He receives a call from Nora, who urges him to get a lawyer soon or risk losing custody of Henry. Charlie returns to Los Angeles and hires Bert Spitz, an empathetic and retired family lawyer who favors a civil and conciliatory approach.
On Bert’s counsel, Charlie rents an apartment in Los Angeles to be closer to his family and strengthen his custody case. Charlie wishes to avoid going to court, so Bert arranges a meeting with Nora and Nicole. Nora argues that Charlie refused to respect Nicole’s wishes to move back to Los Angeles and that Henry would prefer to stay with his mother rather than fly back and forth between coasts. Bert privately advises Charlie to drop his New York residency altogether, but a frustrated Charlie refuses and decides to fire him.
Using the first payout of his MacArthur Fellowship grant, Charlie hires Jay on retainer. The case moves to court, where Nora and Jay argue aggressively on behalf of their clients and attempt to paint the other party in a negative light. Nora highlights Charlie’s past infidelity and emotional distance, while Jay exaggerates Nicole’s drinking habits as alcoholism and threatens criminal action for hacking into Charlie’s emails. Meanwhile, Charlie and Nicole remain friendly out of court and share time with Henry, who is increasingly annoyed with the back and forth.
Disillusioned with the legal process, the couple decides to meet in private away from the lawyers. A friendly discussion in Charlie’s apartment devolves into a bitter argument; Nicole claims that he has now fully merged with his own selfishness, and Charlie punches a hole in a wall and says he wishes that she would die. He then breaks down in shame and apologizes; Nicole comforts him. An appointed expert evaluator monitors a night in with Charlie and Henry with Charlie accidentally cutting himself. Soon after, the couple agrees to relax their demands and reach an equal agreement to finalize the divorce, although Nora negotiates slightly better terms for Nicole, against her wishes.
Marriage Story is a 2019 drama film written, directed, and produced by Noah Baumbach. It stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, with Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever, and Wallace Shawn in supporting roles. The film follows a married couple (Johansson and Driver) going through a coast-to-coast divorce.
The project was announced in November 2017, with the cast joining that month. Filming took place in Los Angeles and New York City between January and April of the following year. Released by Netflix, the film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2019, and began a limited theatrical release on November 6, followed by digital streaming on December 6.
Marriage Story received critical acclaim, with particular praise for Baumbach’s screenplay and direction, as well as its relatability, and the performances of Johansson, Driver, and Dern. It was chosen by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2019. Among other accolades it received six nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Driver), Best Actress (Johansson), Best Supporting Actress (Dern), and Best Original Screenplay. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, the film received a leading six nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, with Dern winning Best Supporting Actress. It was also nominated for five BAFTA Film Awards.
Marriage Story (2019)
Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Greer, Wallace Shawn, Azhy Robertson, Matthew Maher, Mickey Sumner, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Motell Gyn Foster, Mary Wiseman, Pete Simpson
Screenplay by: Noah Baumbach
Production Design by: Jade Healy
Cinematography by: Robbie Ryan
Film Editing by: Jennifer Lame
Costume Design by: Mark Bridges
Set Decoration by: Lizzie Boyle, Nicki Ritchie, Adam Willis
Art Direction by: Andrew Hull, Joshua Petersen
Music by: Randy Newman
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout and sexual references.
Distributed by: Netflix
Release Date: December 6, 2019
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