Rated R
*Spoilers ahead*
What day do our minds leap to when we usually think of February? Valentine’s Day, the day to celebrate love. It’s a holiday that most people either love or hate because, in my opinion, people focus solely on the romantic side of love. It’s more than a day to just celebrate your partner; it’s a day to celebrate all your loved ones! Even the loved one most of us seem to lose sight of in the shuffle of everyday life – ourselves. (Yes, treat yourself!) So this month, instead of reviewing any cliché romantic comedy, I’m choosing to review the Netflix drama Marriage Story that focuses on a couple going through a divorce. Not very romantic, you say? Oh, but it is, and it’s realistic love. Marriage Story plunges into how deeply two people can love each other, their son, and their family, but if their personal needs aren’t being met, progressing as a couple can become very difficult.
Marriage Story stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as Charlie and Nicole, respectively, who both have careers in theatre and live in New York with their son when they decide to separate. Nicole has had enough of suppressing her desire to live in L.A. and putting a successful career in Hollywood on the back burner. At first, they agree to carry out the divorce amicably without lawyers. Then, as Nicole makes her transition to L.A. with her son and feels like she’s still under Charlie’s control, she finds a lawyer, Nora, and Nora assists her in making steps in her own best interest, not Charlie’s.
As a viewer, it’s easy to take pity on Charlie after he gets served the divorce papers. He has to figure out how to get his own expensive lawyer and balance his time between L.A. and New York. His son starts favoring his school, friends, and home in L.A. rather than New York, which leads him to favor being with Nicole rather than Charlie. Charlie tries to pull himself back up by hiring a cutthroat lawyer named Jay, right before they go to court; in court, Jay and Nora throw low blows, telling exaggerated versions of how one parent behaves to help the other parent’s case. Of course, this escalates the tension between Charlie and Nicole, and they have a huge fight (that’s naturally been made into a meme on Twitter, sigh) – the boiling but also lowest point for both characters. After visits from a social worker, Charlie and Nicole as well as their lawyers agree on the details of their divorce, leaving Charlie with the lesser part of 55/45 custody of his son.
Time goes on, and viewers see how Charlie and Nicole’s dynamic has changed with the inclusion of Nicole’s new boyfriend. Charlie also accepts a residency at UCLA, putting him in L.A. for a year. The irony is not lost on us viewers, since we know living in L.A. was what Nicole had always wanted, and now that they’re divorced, Charlie finally was able to make a permanent move. But, such is life. While their love is not the same, it still remains in an entirely new form; they both work to reach the closeness of a family unit they so badly crave for their son. Taking into account their sacrifices and the pain they both endured, their love for each other purely shines through. Their emotional journey and the strong performances from all of the cast greatly landed with me; it was a cathartic cinematic experience.
Marriage Story was nominated for six Golden Globes, with Laura Dern, who excellently played Nora, winning Best Supporting Actress for her role. It is also nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay; I’m excited to see what other awards Marriage Story will bring home on Feb. 9 during the 92nd Academy Awards.
