Marriage Story (2019)
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A couple navigating the complexities of a bi-coastal divorce while trying to maintain their relationship and co-parent their son.
The story
Charlie Barber, a successful theater director in New York City, and his wife Nicole, a former actress, are experiencing marital troubles. When Nicole is offered a starring role in a television pilot in Los Angeles, she decides to move there with their son, Henry. While the couple initially hopes for an amicable separation, the process becomes complicated by the logistics of a bi-coastal split and the complexities of legal mediation. As they navigate the transition from a shared life to separate lives, the emotional toll of their deteriorating relationship and the practicalities of custody begin to strain their bond.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Charlie Barber and his wife Nicole are a couple facing a difficult divorce while managing their son, Henry. After Nicole moves to Los Angeles for a TV role, the couple initially tries to remain amicable, but the involvement of high-profile lawyers, Nora Fanshaw and Jay Marotta, escalates the conflict. Charlie eventually hires a more conciliatory lawyer, Bert Spitz, but later switches to Jay's aggressive tactics. The legal battle leads to a series of character assassinations and a heated private confrontation where they both express their deepest frustrations. They eventually reach a settlement. The film concludes a year later; Charlie has moved to LA, and the two share a moment of reconciliation while reading a list of things Nicole loves about him to their son.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 137
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Noah Baumbach
- Writers
- Noah Baumbach · writer
- Cast and characters
- Scarlett Johansson · Nicole; Adam Driver · Charlie; Laura Dern; Alan Alda; Ray Liotta; Julie Hagerty; Merritt Wever
- Genres
- dramedy
- Themes
- divorce; parenting; relationship breakdown
- Tone and mood
- dramedy; tender; bitter
- Premise and plot tags
- legal drama; romance; family drama
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, particularly for Baumbach's direction and screenplay, and the performances of Johansson, Driver, and Dern.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 94 · scale: 100 · review count: 53
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Golden Globe · Best Supporting Actress · win; Screen Actors Guild Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; BAFTA Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination; Academy Award · Best Actor · nomination; Academy Award · Best Actress · nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Score · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's central argument scene was used by the USDA to deter wolves.; The film's score was recorded at 20th Century Fox Studios's Newman Scoring Stage.; The film's title track, 'What I Love About Nicole', was released as a single.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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