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Marriage Story

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Marriage Story
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNoah Baumbach
Written byNoah Baumbach
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRobbie Ryan
Edited byJennifer Lame
Music byRandy Newman[1]
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • August 29, 2019 (2019-08-29) (Venice)
  • November 6, 2019 (2019-11-06) (United States)
Running time
136 minutes[2]
Countries
  • United States[3]
  • United Kingdom[4]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$18 million[5]
Box office$2.3 million[6][7]

Marriage Story is a 2019 comedy-drama film written, directed and produced by Noah Baumbach. It stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, 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, 2019, followed by digital streaming on December 6.

Marriage Story received critical acclaim, particularly for Baumbach's screenplay and direction, as well as its relatability, musical score, 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.[8] 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.

Plot

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. When Charlie flies out to Los Angeles to visit his family, 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, a 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.

Charlie wins a MacArthur Fellowship grant and uses the first payout to hire 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.

A year later, Charlie's play has a successful Broadway run, while Nicole has a new boyfriend and is nominated for an Emmy Award for directing an episode of her show. Charlie informs Nicole that he has taken a residency at UCLA and will be living in Los Angeles full-time to be closer to Henry. Later, he discovers Henry reading Nicole's list of things she likes about Charlie she wrote down during counseling. Henry asks Charlie to read it aloud to him, and Charlie does so, becoming emotional as Nicole watches from afar. That evening, after attending a Halloween party together, Nicole offers to let Charlie take Henry home even though it is her night with him. As Charlie walks out to his car carrying a sleeping Henry, Nicole stops Charlie to tie his shoe for him. He thanks her, and they part ways once more.

Cast

Jasmine Cephas Jones, Mary Wiseman, Matthew Maher, and Becca Blackwell appear as member of Nicole and Charlie's theater group.

Production

The idea for the film first came to Baumbach in 2016, while in post-production on The Meyerowitz Stories. He began to research the subject, and met with three-time collaborator Driver to discuss the role.[5] In November 2017, it was announced Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Merritt Wever and Azhy Robertson were set to star in the film. David Heyman produced the film under his Heyday Films banner, and Netflix produced and distributed.[9][10][11] In March 2018, Kyle Bornheimer joined the cast of the film,[12] and in June 2018, it was announced that Ray Liotta had also been added.[13]

Principal photography began on January 15, 2018, and lasted 47 days through April 2018, taking place in New York City and Los Angeles.[14]

Speaking of writing the film following his divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, as well as his parents' divorce (which served as inspiration for his earlier film The Squid and the Whale), Baumbach said:

"I have a real connection to the material ... [but] I was also at a time in my life where many of my friends were getting divorced. I saw it as an opportunity to do something more expansive, so I did a lot of research. I interviewed a lot of my friends, and friends of friends, and then also lawyers, judges, mediators."[15]

Following the release of the film, Baumbach said, "I showed [Leigh] the script and then I showed her the movie a little bit ago. She likes it a lot."[16]

Release

Marriage Story had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2019,[17] and also screened at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2019,[18] and the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2019,[19] where it was first runner-up for the People's Choice Award.[20] It also served as the Centerpiece selection at the New York Film Festival on October 4, 2019,[21] and the BFI London Film Festival on October 6, 2019.[22][23] Netflix gave it a limited release in theatres beginning November 6, 2019, before streaming the film starting December 6, 2019.[24]

Reception

Box office

Although Netflix does not publicly disclose the theatrical grosses of its films, IndieWire estimated Marriage Story grossed around $160,000 from five theaters in its opening weekend (and a total $200,000 over its first five days). The site wrote that "normally, these (estimated) numbers would be disappointing," but "given the theaters and more limited seating, as well as awareness of imminent streaming access within the month" it was sufficient for Netflix.[25] Playing at 16 theaters the following weekend, the film made an estimated $140,000,[26] and then $340,000 from 85 theaters in its third.[27] Expanding to 130 theaters in its fourth weekend of release the film made $360,000, for a month-long running total of $1.2 million.[28] The following weekend, despite being released digitally onto Netflix starting the Friday, the film made an estimated $300,000 from 120 theaters, and then $120,000 from 80 theaters the following week.[6][29]

Marriage Story grossed an estimated $2 million in North America and $323,382 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $2.3 million.[7][6]

Critical response

The performances of Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, and Laura Dern garnered critical acclaim.[citation needed]

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 330 reviews, with an average rating of 8.91/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Observing a splintering union with compassion and expansive grace, the powerfully acted Marriage Story ranks among writer-director Noah Baumbach's best works."[30] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 93 out of 100, based on 53 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[31]

Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote, "At once funny, scalding, and stirring, built around two bravura performances of incredible sharpness and humanity, it's the work of a major film artist, one who shows that he can capture life in all its emotional detail and complexity — and, in the process, make a piercing statement about how our society now works."[32] Alonso Duralde of TheWrap praised the performances and Baumbach's screenplay, saying, "One wonders if Baumbach left references to Kramer vs. Kramer or Two for the Road on the cutting-room floor, but either way, Marriage Story is a film that deserves to be mentioned in their company. It's devastating, essential, and destined to be remembered long after this awards cycle ends."[33]

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by Marriage Story (2019 film)

Marriage Story was chosen by the American Film Institute, the National Board of Review, and Time magazine as one of the ten best films of the year.[34][35][36] The film received a leading six nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, winning one award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.[37][38] The film received eight nominations at the 25th Critics' Choice Awards, three nominations at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards for the performances of Driver, Johansson, and Dern, and five nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.[39][40][41] Time Magazine's annual best performances of the year list by Stephanie Zacharek listed Driver as the third best performance of 2019.[42]

References

  1. ^ "Randy Newman Scoring Noah Baumbach's Next Feature | Film Music Reporter". Film Music Reporter. July 17, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  2. ^ "Marriage Story". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  3. ^ "Marriage Story - AFI Fest". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "Marriage Story (2019)". British Film Institute.
  5. ^ a b Ford, Rebecca (November 5, 2019). "Making of 'Marriage Story': How Noah Baumbach Crafted His "Love Story About Divorce"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Brueggemann, Tom (December 15, 2019). "'Uncut Gems' and 'Bombshell' Soar, Malick's 'A Hidden Life' Drags". IndieWire. Retrieved December 15, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ a b "Marriage Story (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  8. ^ "Netflix gets the most Oscar nods of any studio, with 'Irishman' and 'Marriage Story' nominated for Best Picture". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  9. ^ Kroll, Justin (November 17, 2017). "Noah Baumbach Casts Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern in Next Film". Variety. Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  10. ^ "Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern to star in Noah Baumbach's Next Movie". Tracking-Board.com. November 17, 2018. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  11. ^ "Untitled Noah Baumbach Project". Backstage.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 12, 2018). "'Steps': Kyle Bornheimer To Star In ABC Comedy Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  13. ^ Guerrasio, Jason (June 12, 2018). "Ray Liotta on working with Jennifer Lopez, why he's only been in one Scorsese movie, and not believing the Woody Allen sexual misconduct allegations". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  14. ^ Welch, Rebecca (January 10, 2018). "Laura Dern + More Join Secret Netflix Project". Backstage.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  15. ^ "'Marriage Story' Was Personal for Noah Baumbach & Tells a More "Expansive" Tale of the Pain of Divorce — Venice". Archived from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  16. ^ Fernandez, Alexia (November 19, 2019). "Noah Baumbach Says Ex-Wife Jennifer Jason Leigh Likes His Divorce Drama Marriage Story 'a Lot'". People. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  17. ^ Anderson, Ariston (July 25, 2019). "Venice Film Festival Unveils Lineup (Updating Live)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  18. ^ Hammond, Pete (August 29, 2019). "Telluride Film Festival: 'Ford V Ferrari', 'Judy', 'Motherless Brooklyn', Weinstein-Inspired Drama 'The Assistant' Among Premieres Headed To 46th Edition – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  19. ^ Lang, Brent (July 23, 2019). "Toronto Film Festival: 'Joker,' 'Ford v Ferrari,' 'Hustlers' Among Big Premieres". Variety. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  20. ^ Hammond, Pete (September 15, 2019). "'Jojo Rabbit' Wins Toronto's Grolsch People's Choice Award; Best Picture Oscar Predictor?". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019.
  21. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (July 30, 2019). "Noah Baumbach-Directed 'Marriage Story' Set As New York Film Festival Centerpiece". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  22. ^ "Marriage Story". BFI London Film Festival. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  23. ^ Mitchell, Robert (August 29, 2019). "'Jojo Rabbit,' 'The Aeronauts,' Netflix Titles Feature in London Film Festival Lineup". Variety. Archived from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  24. ^ McClintock, Pamela (August 27, 2019). "Netflix Dates 'Marriage Story,' 'Laundromat' and Other Fall Award Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  25. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (November 10, 2019). "Amazon's 'Honey Boy' Tops Netflix's 'Marriage Story' In Select Theaters". IndieWire. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  26. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (November 17, 2019). "'Waves' Makes Box Office Splash as Amazon and Netflix Stay Quiet". IndieWire. Retrieved November 17, 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (November 24, 2019). "'Dark Waters' Leads Tepid Arthouse Openers at Crowded Box Office". IndieWire. Retrieved November 24, 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (December 1, 2019). "'Harriet,' 'Jojo Rabbit,' and 'Parasite' Reap Holiday Box Office Bounty". IndieWire. Retrieved December 1, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (December 8, 2019). "Neon's 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' Grabs Arthouse Crowd, Amazon's 'The Aeronauts' Deflates". IndieWire. Retrieved December 8, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ "Marriage Story (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  31. ^ "Marriage Story Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  32. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (August 29, 2019). "Venice Film Review: 'Marriage Story'". Variety (magazine). Archived from the original on September 5, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  33. ^ Durande, Alonso (August 29, 2019). "'Marriage Story' Film Review: Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver Break Apart in Noah Baumbach's Devastating Drama". TheWrap. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  34. ^ "National Board of Review 2019: 'The Irishman' Wins Best Film, Adam Sandler Named Best Actor". National Board of Review. December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  35. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (November 25, 2019). "The 10 Best Movies of 2019". Time. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  36. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 4, 2019). "The AFI Top 10 Films of 2019".
  37. ^ "Golden Globes 2020: Who got nominated? Here's the full list". USA TODAY. December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  38. ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (January 6, 2020). "Golden Globes 2020 winners: The full list". The Independent. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  39. ^ Kiefer, Halle (December 8, 2019). "Martin Scorsese's The Irishman Leads Critics' Choice Awards Nominations". Vulture. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  40. ^ "NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS". December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  41. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (January 7, 2020). "BAFTA Film Awards Nominations: 'Joker', 'The Irishman', 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Lead – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  42. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (November 26, 2019). "The 10 Best Movie Performances of 2019". Time. Retrieved November 28, 2019.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marriage_Story&oldid=935746755"