MARRIAGE STORY (2019)

🎬 Basic Information

• Title: Marriage Story

• Director & Writer: Noah Baumbach

• Genre: Drama / Romance

• Release Date: November 6, 2019 (Netflix and limited theatrical release)

• Runtime: 137 minutes

• Country / Language: United States / English

• Main Cast:

  • Adam Driver as Charlie Barber

  • Scarlett Johansson as Nicole Barber

  • Laura Dern as Nora Fanshaw

  • Alan Alda as Bert Spitz

  • Ray Liotta as Jay Marotta

📖 Plot Summary

Marriage Story follows the disintegration of the marriage between Charlie Barber, a successful New York theater director, and Nicole Barber, a former actress who gave up her career to work alongside him.

At the start, they are in mediation, reading heartfelt lists of what they love about each other—but the exercise collapses when emotions overwhelm them. Nicole accepts a TV role in Los Angeles, taking their young son Henry with her. What begins as a hope for a peaceful divorce becomes a heated legal battle when Nicole hires the sharp, aggressive attorney Nora Fanshaw.

Charlie, initially resistant to lawyers, eventually hires the kindly but ineffective Bert Spitz, then later the equally aggressive Jay Marotta to defend himself. As court proceedings intensify, old wounds, resentments, and vulnerabilities emerge, pushing the couple into bitter confrontations.

Despite the pain, moments of love and mutual respect remain, particularly for the sake of Henry. By the end, the divorce is finalized, and though they’ve gone their separate ways, a quiet understanding and compassion lingers between them.

🎭 Themes

• The complexity of love and separation

• The emotional toll of divorce on parents and children

• Communication breakdown and the influence of legal systems on personal relationships

• The coexistence of love and resentment in human connections

🏆 Awards & Recognition

• Academy Awards (2020):

  • Won: Best Supporting Actress (Laura Dern)

  • Nominated: Best Picture, Best Actor (Adam Driver), Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score

• Golden Globe Awards: Won Best Supporting Actress (Laura Dern)

• Widely praised for its performances, screenplay, and emotional authenticity.

📊 Quick Overview Table