Where there’s a love, there’s a way.|Nov. 06, 2019|UK|137 Min.|R
Genre: Drama
Description: The story begins with Charlie Barber, a successful theater director in New York City. His theater company is producing a play featuring his wife, Nicole, a former teen film actress. The couple is facing marital issues and consults a mediator, who suggests they write down what they appreciate about each other. However, Nicole is too embarrassed to share her thoughts, and they decide to abandon the counseling.
Nicole is offered a starring role in a television pilot in Los Angeles. She chooses to leave the theater company and temporarily move in with her mother in West Hollywood, taking their young son, Henry, with her. Charlie stays in New York because their play is transitioning to Broadway. Although they initially agree to part ways amicably without lawyers, Nicole hires Nora Fanshaw, a family attorney. She shares her feelings of neglect, detailing how Charlie often dismissed her ideas and desires, and suspects he had an affair with the theater’s stage manager.
Charlie visits Los Angeles to see his family and reveals he has received a MacArthur Fellowship grant. However, Nicole serves him divorce papers. Charlie consults Jay Marotta, an aggressive lawyer who encourages him to fight dirty, but Charlie opts not to hire him. He later receives a warning from Nora to secure a lawyer promptly or risk losing custody of Henry. Returning to Los Angeles, Charlie hires Bert Spitz, a retired family lawyer known for his empathetic and conciliatory approach.
On Bert’s advice, Charlie rents an apartment in Los Angeles to strengthen his custody case by being closer to his family. To avoid court, Bert arranges a meeting with Nora and Nicole. Nora argues that Charlie disregarded Nicole’s desire to move back to Los Angeles and that Henry prefers staying with his mother rather than traveling between coasts. Bert privately advises Charlie to relinquish his New York residency, but Charlie refuses, frustrated by the situation, and ultimately fires Bert.
Cast director: Noah Baumbach
Cast actor: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever, Azhy Robertson, Wallace Shawn, Martha Kelly
Original name: Marriage Story