Marriage Story (2019)
Film · Drama
Stream itif you want an intimate, brilliantly acted character study that captures the messy collapse of a partnership.
An incredibly intimate and well-acted autopsy of a relationship that feels painfully real in every shouting match and legal maneuver. It is emotionally exhausting and brilliant, best watched when you have the headspace for a heavy, dialogue-heavy drama.
What it is about
A stage director and an actress struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal extremes.
Trailer
What Marriage Story is like, and who it is for
What it is like to watch
Watching this film is a claustrophobic and intensely verbal experience. The pacing allows for long, theatrical scenes where emotions boil over from quiet frustration into raw, unvarnished shouting matches. It feels like an intrusion into a private space, blending moments of genuine tenderness with the cold, procedural aggression of the legal system. The tone is deeply naturalistic, finding a strange, sharp comedy in the absurdity of divorce proceedings while remaining anchored in profound sadness.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
This is essential viewing for anyone who appreciates high-calibre acting and dialogue-driven drama, though it is a difficult watch for those currently navigating their own relationship struggles. You should skip it if you are looking for a fast-paced plot or escapism, as it is relentlessly focused on emotional friction. The honest caveat is that it can feel incredibly cynical about the legal profession, often portraying the lawyers as more combative than the couple themselves.
The right evening for it
It suits a quiet, reflective evening when you are prepared to be emotionally wrung out. You need the mental headspace to engage with its long runtime and dense, heavy conversations.
Written by our AI from the facts on this page. It has opinions; it has not watched it.
Another trailer
Trailer · Teaser Trailer (What I Love About Nicole)
How Marriage Story leaves you
One line on the mood it ends on, with no plot. Some people count that as a spoiler, so it stays hidden until you ask.
You will likely feel emotionally drained and pensive. It leaves a lingering sense of melancholy for what was lost, alongside a quiet respect for the complexity of human connection.
How Marriage Story ends
Spoilers. The whole ending, in a few lines. Nothing shows until you ask and then confirm.
The film ends with Charlie visiting Los Angeles for Halloween, where he informs Nicole that he has taken a residency at UCLA to be closer to their son, Henry. While the family prepares for the evening, Charlie finds Henry reading the letter Nicole wrote during mediation detailing everything she loves about him. Charlie reads the list aloud to Henry and becomes visibly emotional, unaware that Nicole is watching them from the doorway.
After they finish trick-or-treating, Nicole offers to let Henry stay with Charlie even though it is her scheduled night. As Charlie walks away carrying their sleeping son, Nicole notices his shoe is untied and stops to tie it for him. This final gesture suggests a return to a more civil and compassionate relationship, settling their long-standing legal and personal conflicts while leaving them to co-parent in the same city.
Summarised by our AI from the plot section of the Wikipedia article, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. This summary is shared under the same licence.
Stills
Images from TMDB.
If you like this, try
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
the same domestic heartbreak and legal custody battles
Blue Valentine (2010)
a similarly unflinching and painful look at a crumbling marriage
Scenes from a Marriage (1974)
the definitive, dialogue-heavy exploration of long-term partnership dissolution
Suggested by our AI for what they share with this one. Linked titles have a page here; the rest are worth a search on the browse page.
More clips
Trailer · Teaser Trailer (What I Love About Charlie)
Clip · Marriage Story | The Opening Sequence | Netflix
Clip · Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in Marriage Story l Netflix
Marriage Story soundtrack
Music by Randy Newman
Marriage Story (Original Music from the Netflix Film)
Randy Newman · 2019 · 14 tracks
Listen on Apple Music- 1What I Love About Nicole
- 2What I Love About Charlie
- 3Last Critique
- 4Procession to the Trailer
- 5Nicole Tells Her Story
- 6Mommy Phase
- 7Trick or Treat
- 8New House
- 9Sockpants / Dirty Sockpants
- 10Shouting and Shopping
Album and songs from Apple Music.
Awards
Marriage Story won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. It also won at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs.
Oscars
- Won: Best Supporting Actress · Laura Dern · 2020
- Nominated: Best Picture · 2020
- Nominated: Best Actor · Adam Driver · 2020
- Nominated: Best Actress · Scarlett Johansson · 2020
- Nominated: Best Original Screenplay · Noah Baumbach · 2020
- Nominated: Best Original Score · 2020
Golden Globes
- Won: Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture) · Laura Dern · 2020
BAFTAs
- Won: Best Actress in a Supporting Role · Laura Dern · 2020
- Nominated: Best Actress in a Leading Role · Scarlett Johansson · 2020
1 other awardShow
- Won: National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
From Wikidata, which can miss some.
Questions people ask
- Is Marriage Story an authentic film?
- Yes. On Watchlist Boosted it is tagged Authentic, with a tearjerker streak. An incredibly intimate and well-acted autopsy of a relationship that feels painfully real in every shouting match and legal maneuver. It is emotionally exhausting and brilliant, best watched when you have the headspace for a heavy, dialogue-heavy drama.
- How long is Marriage Story?
- Marriage Story runs 137 min and was released in 2019.
- Where can I watch Marriage Story in Australia?
- In Australia, Marriage Story is included with Netflix (all plans).
- Where can I watch Marriage Story in the UK?
- In the UK, Marriage Story is included with Netflix (all plans).
- What awards did Marriage Story win?
- Marriage Story won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. It also won at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs.
- Who composed the music for Marriage Story?
- The music for Marriage Story is by Randy Newman. The soundtrack album, Marriage Story (Original Music from the Netflix Film), has 14 tracks.
- What songs are on the Marriage Story soundtrack?
- Marriage Story (Original Music from the Netflix Film) has 14 tracks, including “What I Love About Nicole”, “What I Love About Charlie”, “Last Critique”, “Procession to the Trailer” and “Nicole Tells Her Story”, and more. It is on Apple Music.
- Is Marriage Story worth watching?
- Stream it: if you want an intimate, brilliantly acted character study that captures the messy collapse of a partnership. IMDb users rate it 7.9 out of 10 from 369,658 votes, Rotten Tomatoes gives it 95%, Metacritic 94 and TMDB users 7.7.
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