Marriage Story

Movie review by Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media
Marriage Story Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

All-too-real divorce drama isn't kid stuff; strong language.

R 2019 136 minutes
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 16 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 17 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that writer/director Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story is a drama that could be considered a "divorce procedural." It specifically explores how the legal system distorts the good intentions of a couple trying to end their marriage amicably. Despite their personal tension -- and one epic argument during which a fist goes through a wall -- Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie Barber (Adam Driver) continually try to do what's best for their 8-year-old son. The movie is really all about about how divorce affects parents' relationship with their child(ren). Expect extremely strong language; the whole family, including the son, curses a lot ("f--k," "s--t," and many more), and explicit language is used to describe a sex act. Adults also do a lot of drinking, mostly in social situations, and Charlie smokes.

Community Reviews

AguAnt
AguAnt Adult
June 14, 2022
age 15+

This title has:

Educational value
doctora
doctora Adult
June 5, 2022
age 16+

Perhaps if you identify with these characters you would rate it higher...still pretty good either way.

An intensely personal feeling film. In many ways it feels like a modernized Kramer vs Kramer along with the cute kid. Driver is unforgettable. ScarJo plays the complicated nuance of this character very well. Dern is bombastic and Liotta matches her toe to toe. The biggest surprise of awesomeness was the too underutilized Julie Hagerty in a fabu role! More please. I was not as sentimentally moved as others watching this film but I still felt the power of the film's emotional investments reverberate through each scene, it was palpable. A film that is extremely well written and difficult to forget.
See all 16 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In MARRIAGE STORY, Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson) decides to end her decade-long marriage to Charlie (Adam Driver). The New York-based couple plans to divorce with as little drama, expense, and disruption as possible. But when Nicole gets a big job opportunity in Los Angeles, custody of their 8-year-old son, Henry (Azhy Robertson), increases the stakes of their split.

Is It Any Good?

Writer-director Noah Baumbach brings the pain of the divorce process to the screen in a drama that's phenomenally crafted but is more of a solitary experience than one to be shared. It's hard to imagine what pair of people would choose to see this movie together. Married couple? Uncomfortable. Friends? Evening killer. Couple on a date? Awkward. A sibling going through a divorce? Bring a mop and a wheelbarrow to clean up the emotional mess. Divorce "survivors" will find that every frame hits home: the raw emotions, getting sucked down the legal system's financial hole, and the lawyers who make everything so much worse. The story feels authentically personal -- which makes sense, as it's based on Baumbach's own 2013 divorce from Jennifer Jason Leigh.

The performances in Marriage Story will knock your socks off, including all of the supporting cast: Julie Hagerty as Nicole's mom, who doesn't want to stop loving her ex-son-in-law; Wallace Shawn as the puffed-up stage star reminding everyone of his glory days; and Laura Dern as an artificially empathetic divorce attorney who's all hugs and fangs. But what everyone will end the movie thinking about is the power, vulnerability, and expressiveness of Driver and Johansson's performances. Given their presence (Kylo Ren and Black Widow!), some kids may be interested in watching, but it's not for them, they won't like it, and it could negatively impact their view of marriage. So, who is the perfect movie buddy to watch with? Maybe your adult child who's about to marry Mr. or Ms. Wrong. Rename this one The Squid and the Cautionary Tale.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about their views on divorce. Is it possible for parents to separate but still remain a family? How does divorce affect kids? Parents? How is divorce typically depicted in the media?

  • Discuss the role of communication in a successful relationship. Could Nicole and Charlie have communicated better to avoid splitting up in Marriage Story, or would it have mattered?

  • Do you feel empathy for Charlie and Nicole? Why? If not, how does the course of the film change your feelings toward them? Considering that this is a semi-autobiographical story from Baumbach, do you think both sides are depicted fairly?

Movie Details

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