I didn’t mean for it to be, but I think that this blog is the finale of a series.
In October I wrote about one of my favorite movies (technically a limited series) of all time, “Over The Garden Wall”. I had begun writing this piece as a blog post but decided to write it as a RISE article instead. It was the first time I had actually done the research and put a lot of effort into writing about a movie and I was surprised that I really enjoyed it! Here’s the link to that RISE article: Over The Garden Wall: A Spooky Must Watch
This past month, I’ve begun writing about my other favorite movies. This has included my last two blogs about the films “Julie & Julia” and “Little Miss Sunshine”. In my opinion, these three pieces are probably my favorite articles/blogs that I’ve ever done!
Now, there is only one left.
“Marriage Story” is the only one of my favorite movies that I have yet to write about. I watched it for the first time on December 16th, 2019, just a month after it was first released on Netflix. I was told that it was sad and that I had to watch it.
Out of my four favorite films, this one stands out the most. Like, it itself isn’t particularly odd, but the reason as to why it’s my favorite is different compared to the others.
With the other three films, I love everything about them. I love their worlds, characters, and distinct aesthetics. I love how they make me feel when I watch them. They check all my boxes!
And I’m not saying that “Marriage Story” doesn’t, those just aren’t the same reasons why I like it.
But before I get into why I like it, let me tell you a little bit about it!
*NO SPOILERS*
More like divorce story
Just in case you didn’t know, the main characters are getting a divorce.
Charlie, a New York theatre stage director, and Nicole, a talented actress from California, are struggling through a divorce. The movie follows them throughout this process, with one of the main conflicts being who will get custody of their son.
At times, the movie is not easy to watch. It is most definitely not a “date night” movie… or a good movie for anyone in a new relationship for that matter. It shows the uncomfortably intimate and vulnerable sides of both of the main characters. And it never takes sides. Neither Charlie nor Nicole are the better choice for custody, neither are completely right or wrong in their reasonings for their divorce.
This is very offputting to some people who may just watch movies simply as a form of entertainment (which is completely valid). An example is my mom, who has said that she won’t watch this movie because it “seems too real”… and it probably is. It will undoubtedly make you question your own relationship if you’re in one. And if you aren’t currently in a romantic relationship, then it may make you reexamine what you actually want out of a partner.
Yes It is very Sad, but I love it
I said early that I didn’t enjoy “Marriage Story” for the same reasons that I enjoyed my other favorite movies.
This is because “Marriage Story” is so uncomfortably realistic. Every time I watch it, I just sit there in awe over the fact that someone was able to tell this story so well.
Noah Baumbach based “Marriage Story” on his own experience and you can tell! There are some things that are so specific to this experience that couldn’t have possibly come from someone who hadn’t lived it.
I also love that he presents the characters as equals. Neither is completely wrong or right in their divorce and neither is made the villain/hero, they’re just two people who care about each other trying to work through a major life change. When research specifically the editing of this film, I came across an interview where the editor, Jennifer Lame, said that she and Baumbach cut many parts of the film that they liked simply to give Nicole and Charlie equal screentime. And that is just amazing to me.
This is the type of art I want to create. I am so insanely jealous of Noah Baumbach and his ability to capture this story the way that he did. Just the way he took his own life experiences and made them into this… that fact is just infinitely inspiring to me. I desperately want to be able to do this with my own art. This is what I want to create. I want it to be real and raw and beautiful and everything this movie is. And that’s probably why I’m a little obsessed with it.
And of course, it is very pretty
I feel like this is a mandatory part of these blogs now, but please enjoy these aesthetically pleasing stills from the film!
In Conclusion, you should watch it
I think I mentioned this early in the blog, but the film is available to stream on Netflix. If you’re ever feeling up to watch a relationship fall apart (which probably is not often), then you should definitely check it out!
As for this being the last installment in my four-part-favorite-movie pieces, I do not think that this will be the last time I write about movies. I have already written about “happiest season” on both this blog and RISE, which was a movie that I HIGHLY disliked, so maybe I write more about movies I don’t like as much. Or maybe I’ll write about tv shows? Who knows!
If reading any part of these blogs has brought you any kind of enjoyment, then that’s awesome! And if no one has read them at all, then I’m at least happy that I got some enjoyment out of writing them. That’s all that really matters.
