With Marriage Story premiering in November, The Report, and Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker in December, it truly is the season of Adam Driver. If Marriage Story gave us anything new, it didn’t just reinforce the fact Driver is one of the best actors of his generation, but also that he can sing. Like, really sing (however, you’ll have to sit through two hours of masterpiece material to see that happen).
Charlie (Adam Driver) is an Indiana native who moved to New York to pursue his dream as a theater director. Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) is a New York actor from LA. In a unique and thoughtful decision on director Noah Baumbach's part, both actors had their personal lives tied into the film: Adam Driver was raised in Indiana and moved to New York for theater at Julliard, and Scarlett Johansson was going through a divorce herself when she first met with Baumbach about this project. Speaking on this and balancing the narrative, Baumbach told CUFPe: “I went to both Scarlett and Adam before I started writing the script, so I had them in my head as I was writing the characters. I felt like it had to be even-handed, I wasn’t interested in making any other kind of movie.” In talking about the actors’ personal connections to the film, he also said, “It’s about them… the way they give themselves to these characters, I find so personal. I can watch them in a way I can’t watch other movies of mine. I can watch this movie because of what they’re doing. I find them watching their movie a lot of time and not mine.”
The film begins with each character confessing what they love about the other. We see the two both living in New York, with their 8-year-old son Henry (Azhy Robertson), both pursuing their “dreams.” Charlie is a theater director, and Nicole is an actress starring in his play. Their lives at home and work seem to be what anyone would want. Then, we’re quickly taken away to face the reality of what will be the focus for the rest of the film: Charlie and Nicole are going through a divorce. We see the two talking (more or less) with a mediator, and it is clear that the beautiful, loving marriage we once saw is coming to an end. From there, each side of the story is told. But rather than telling it to each other, they’re telling it to divorce lawyers. Nicole moves out to LA with Henry to live with her mom, who had her fair share of acting fame, for some time while undergoing the divorce process. Though, according to Charlie, they’re still a “New York-based” family (yet Nicole has some trouble with that). Nicole’s mom recommends a handful of divorce lawyers to her, before Nicole settles on one of LA’s best, Laura Dern’s Nora Fanshaw, who seemingly fits the role perfectly. “We’ll do it as gently as possible.” Right.
Nicole’s decision to hire a divorce lawyer is upsetting to Charlie, who believed they would handle the process on their own. In pursuit of finding a lawyer himself, Charlie discovers that any lawyer his wife met with is not allowed to take his case. After finally settling on a lawyer, then eventually a second, Charlie temporarily takes a place in LA to stay close to Henry and avoid traveling so often. According to his lawyer, this becomes a problem for him, because “the court” will see them as an “LA-based” family, not where a majority of their time as a family has been spent. This also sheds light on a past unsettled uncertainty regarding their marriage: New York vs. LA. Nicole expresses her feelings to Nora about not living her dream; rather, she felt like she was fulfilling her husband’s, and not living the life she truly wanted. She dreamt of becoming an actress, and was partially fulfilling that dream by acting in her husband’s play, but didn’t think they would live in New York forever. When Charlie would turn down opportunities to move to LA, she felt unheard and more distant from having her version of a perfect life. On the other hand, Charlie is living his dream and becoming what he’s always wanted to become. The play he’s directing has seen great success, and he is awarded the MacArthur Grant after the divorce process begins, telling Nicole it’s not just his, but “ours.” He always envisioned staying in New York because that’s where his play is, and something he can’t simply physically move. While both characters have similar dreams, they have different ways of wanting to achieve them.
Emotionally exhausting, sure. In discussing Baumbach’s relentlessness and investment in the script, Johansson told CUFPe: “Nothing is off limits with him. It’s exhausting because you’re doing 70 takes of something that’s really emotionally draining. It was a marathon, for sure. That was surprising to me because I didn’t know what to expect… I got strong in it though, pulled a lot of dramatic muscles.”
There undoubtedly are moments in this film that will break your heart and cause you to shed a tear or two, but they’re only because, justifiably, you grow attached to who these people are. There are also plenty of scenes rooted in comedy and little conversations that bring a sense of comedic relief, such as a fiasco that ensues with Nicole, her mom, and her sister at their LA home, in preparation for Charlie’s visit. In regards to the comedic relief the characters bring, Johansson stated, “[Charlie’s and Nicole’s] familiarities are touching, but it’s also funny and ironic, and they can recognize the hilarity in the worst moments… the life that’s happening between them is also funny and whimsical at times and light, because it’s dynamic like life is… Sometimes [Adam and I] would be doing things and actually didn’t realize that they were hilarious but then found them funny in the moment. Even if we were fighting one another, just how awful it was was so funny, because it was getting worse, so in some ways you kind of have to laugh at it, and I think that’s just how life sort of is sometimes.” Similarly, Driver added, “It’s not something that I think I consciously think of, [like] ‘oh, this has to be funny.’ If anything it’s just a testament to the writing with what Scarlett is saying and I find that’s more true to life anyway. We don’t live in a genre, it’s not all one thing, if anything it would be comedy… You’re armed with this great script, so that does all of the work for you.” Rather than forced or intentional humor, the natural pairing of comedy and drama lends Marriage Story to have such a powerful and resonating narrative.
One excellent aspect of this film is the way in which the narrative is balanced, with both characters telling their stories. No one adds more weight to the story than the other, and we often see the same or similar event through the eyes of both. This balance is perfect: in one scene we’ll see Nicole meeting with her lawyer and then Charlie with his; Nicole spending time with Henry and then Charlie taking him to run errands. In a way of the latter, a large part of the film revolves around the child, who is often the center of a divorce. Both Charlie and Nicole love Henry and want to give him a great life no matter what happens between them; thus, Henry is frequently the subject that a majority of the storyline revolves around.
Another distinguishing aspect of this film is the way in which it takes you through this couple’s journey of divorce, keeping you so invested because you fall in love with these characters, but are unable to take a side. Both Charlie and Nicole allow for a certain degree of emotional investment where, even when you see their mistakes, it is impossible to gang up on either one. You see their vices and virtues, and at the end of the day that’s what makes us human. While Charlie and Nicole fell out of love, they still love each other. They love Henry, and want the best for him. Though they’ve come to the understanding they will no longer be a couple, they will still be a family. And when you have family you have everything.
Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★
Trailers
Marriage Story is out in theaters November 6 and on Netflix December 6.
Nadia Jurkovich is the treasurer of CUFP and a junior in Columbia Engineering.