THE MOVIE PLOT MARRIAGE STORY - MOVIE SYNOPSIS
THE MARRIAGE STORY MOVIE PLOT -
MARRIAGE STORY
The film begins with voice over as a married couple, Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) Barber, explains
all the things they love about each other. This turns out to be an exercise given to them by a mediator for their impending
divorce, hoping to encourage them to remember why they fell in love in the first place. When the meditator asks them to read
the letters they wrote, Nicole angrily decides she doesn’t want to and storms out. The two have agreed to not use lawyers and
simply go through mediation, hoping it will be easies in their young son Henry (Azhy Robertson). The two currently live in New
York City where Charlie directs plays and Nicole stars in them. Nicole is offered a TV pilot and and has to leave Charlie’s
play right before its Broadway transfer to go to Los Angeles to shoot it and brings Henry along with her to stay at her mom
Sandra’s (Julie Hagerty) house.
In Los Angeles, a co-worker strongly recommends Nicole get a divorce lawyer, and refers her to Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern),
an extremely high-powered attorney. Nora asks Nicole for her story, and Nicole explains how she was formerly a well-known
actress who grew up in Los Angeles, but on a trip to New York fell in love with Charlie and began starring in his small
productions, bringing eyes to his theater which they built up together. She always wanted to come back to LA where her
family is and where she’s from but Charlie never really considered it, even turning own an opportunity to direct a play in LA.
Nicole felt little by little like she didn’t exist anymore in the relationship, like she was lost, and she also suspected Charlie of
sleeping with his stage manager. Meanwhile, Charlie flies out to LA on breaks from his play rehearsals to see Henry. He tells
Nicole he has received a MacArthur Genius Grant for his directing. Nicole asks her sister Cassie (Merritt Wever) to give
Charlie the divorce papers, which she does awkwardly. Charlie is confused since he thought they weren’t using laywers, but
Nicole tells him it’ll be easier this way.
Charlie meets with Jay (Ray Liotta), an extremely aggressive divorce attorney with a very expensive retainer, which scares
Charlie off. He goes back to New York to continue working, telling his stage manager Mary Ann (Brooke Bloom) that even
though they slept together one time, he can’t handle it at the moment. Nora calls Charlie, wondering why he hasn’t responded
to the divorce papers he received. He says he’s been busy, and Nora tells him if he doesn’t respond by the end of the thirty
days the court can give full custody to Nicole. Charlie hurriedly rushes back to LA and begins meeting with lawyers, only to
find that Nicole already met with most of them, preventing Charlie from being able to retain them. Sandra gives him a tip on
Bert Spitz (Alan Alda), a former entertainment lawyer now working a small practice. Charlie meets with Bert, who warns him
(like Jay did) that since Henry was born in California and goes to school in California, courts will see them as a California
couple. Charlie keeps repeatedly insisting the California move was only temporary and that they are a New York family, and
Henry should come back to New York. Bert is compassionate, and is the first person in the process who treats Charlie like a
person. He advises Charlie to get an apartment in LA to look better to the court. On Halloween, Charlie takes Henry for a
second round of trick or treating after he’s already trick or treated with Nicole, despite Henry being tired. Henry says he likes
California, but Charlie is sure he’s wrong about it. Nicole’s show becomes successful and the plan is to stay in LA.
At at meeting with the lawyers, Nora argues hard, despite Charlie’s insistence that Henry was going to come back to New
York. Nora argues that Charlie never listened to Nicole’s wishes of living in California, and hits him hard with details from their
relationship. Privately, Bert advises Charlie he needs to let the New York thing go, and Charlie refuses, crying. Later, Nora
and Nicole meet at the court to finalize the paperwork, having worked everything out with Bert, but then Charlie arrives with
Jay instead. Nora realizes this means they’re about to go to war. In court, Jay and Nora battle it out, using personal details
about Charlie and Nicole to attack them. Jay accuses Nicole of being an alcoholic, Nora brings up Charlie’s affair, Jay tries
to lay claim to Nicole’s TV money, and in response Nora tries to claim Charlie’s grant money. The court decides to appoint
an independent evaluator to meet and observe both parents.
Nicole goes to Charlie’s apartment, feeling the lawyers have gotten out of hand, in hopes of talking it out. Charlie agrees, but
the conversation soon devolves into a brutal, vicious argument. Charlie accuses her of lying about not being happy with him
and that she just will never be happy, she tells him how he’s so selfish he truly can’t see beyond himself, and Charlie ends up
telling her he wishes she would die - then breaks down sobbing and apologizes. Nora preps Nicole for her meeting with the
evaluator, explaining that even though fathers can have some leeway, mothers are always expected to be perfect. The
evaluator comes to observe Charlie, and during dinner Henry asks Charlie to do his trick with his pocket knife. Charlie,
worried, explains to the evaluator he would do a joke with Nicole where he would retract the knife and pretend to slash himself
- only he accidentally does slash himself, bleeding profusely. After the evaluator leaves, he lies on the kitchen floor.
Charlie and Nicole, both bleeding money in legal fees from the divorce, finally settle, Nora and Jay backing off the claims to
come after the other’s money. Henry will stay in LA, though Nora tells a confused Nicole that when Charlie is town despite
what she thought, technically it’s not shared custody - she got Nicole 55/45 percent, just because she didn’t want Charlie to
be able to say he won. In New York, at a jazz/singing bar with his cast, Charlie gets up and sings the song “Being Alive”. The
next Halloween, Nicole is happily dating someone new and nominated for an Emmy - for directing. Charlie comes to visit,
and tells Nicole that he’s taken a directing job in LA and will be there for a while. She’s happy for him. Henry finds the letter
Nicole wrote for the mediator when the divorce started and asks Charlie to help him read it. Charlie reads the letter and cries,
while Nicole looks over his shoulder. At the end of trick or treating, Nicole asks if Charlie wants to take Henry for the night,
even though it’s her night for custody. He says yes, and as he’s leaving, Nicole tells him to wait - she runs back, ties Charlie’s
untied shoe, and says goodbye.
Related Movies:
THE 40 DAYS AND 47 METERS
INTRUDER PLAYMOBIL: 40 NIGHTS DOWN:
(2019) THE RENTAL The Movie (2002) Uncaged
Charlie (Adam Driver) a New York-based director and his actress wife Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) are getting divorced. She
takes their son Henry and goes to her hometown of Los Angeles to shoot a TV pilot, and despite their agreement to not use
lawyers, hires high-powered divorce attorney Nora (Laura Dern). The most contentious point is living in LA or New York -
Charlie believes they are. New York family, and Nicole had always wanted to go back to LA and Charlie never listened to her.
When his back gets up against the wall and unable to win New York residency for Henry, Charlie hires an aggressive attorney
Jay (Ray Liotta) leading to the fight getting extremely vicious and personal. Eventually, the two settle, Charlie takes some
directing jobs in LA and Nicole becomes successful and Emmy-nominated for her own directing and the two are able to
balance their new arrangement wistfully.
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THANKS FOR READING MARRIAGE STORY THE MOVIE PLOT
MARRIAGE STORY
The film begins with voice over as a married couple, Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) Barber, explains
all the things they love about each other. This turns out to be an exercise given to them by a mediator for their impending
divorce, hoping to encourage them to remember why they fell in love in the first place. When the meditator asks them to read
the letters they wrote, Nicole angrily decides she doesn’t want to and storms out. The two have agreed to not use lawyers and
simply go through mediation, hoping it will be easies in their young son Henry (Azhy Robertson). The two currently live in New
York City where Charlie directs plays and Nicole stars in them. Nicole is offered a TV pilot and and has to leave Charlie’s
play right before its Broadway transfer to go to Los Angeles to shoot it and brings Henry along with her to stay at her mom
Sandra’s (Julie Hagerty) house.
In Los Angeles, a co-worker strongly recommends Nicole get a divorce lawyer, and refers her to Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern),
an extremely high-powered attorney. Nora asks Nicole for her story, and Nicole explains how she was formerly a well-known
actress who grew up in Los Angeles, but on a trip to New York fell in love with Charlie and began starring in his small
productions, bringing eyes to his theater which they built up together. She always wanted to come back to LA where her
family is and where she’s from but Charlie never really considered it, even turning own an opportunity to direct a play in LA.
Nicole felt little by little like she didn’t exist anymore in the relationship, like she was lost, and she also suspected Charlie of
sleeping with his stage manager. Meanwhile, Charlie flies out to LA on breaks from his play rehearsals to see Henry. He tells
Nicole he has received a MacArthur Genius Grant for his directing. Nicole asks her sister Cassie (Merritt Wever) to give
Charlie the divorce papers, which she does awkwardly. Charlie is confused since he thought they weren’t using laywers, but
Nicole tells him it’ll be easier this way.
Charlie meets with Jay (Ray Liotta), an extremely aggressive divorce attorney with a very expensive retainer, which scares
Charlie off. He goes back to New York to continue working, telling his stage manager Mary Ann (Brooke Bloom) that even
though they slept together one time, he can’t handle it at the moment. Nora calls Charlie, wondering why he hasn’t responded
to the divorce papers he received. He says he’s been busy, and Nora tells him if he doesn’t respond by the end of the thirty
days the court can give full custody to Nicole. Charlie hurriedly rushes back to LA and begins meeting with lawyers, only to
find that Nicole already met with most of them, preventing Charlie from being able to retain them. Sandra gives him a tip on
Bert Spitz (Alan Alda), a former entertainment lawyer now working a small practice. Charlie meets with Bert, who warns him
(like Jay did) that since Henry was born in California and goes to school in California, courts will see them as a California
couple. Charlie keeps repeatedly insisting the California move was only temporary and that they are a New York family, and
Henry should come back to New York. Bert is compassionate, and is the first person in the process who treats Charlie like a
person. He advises Charlie to get an apartment in LA to look better to the court. On Halloween, Charlie takes Henry for a
second round of trick or treating after he’s already trick or treated with Nicole, despite Henry being tired. Henry says he likes
California, but Charlie is sure he’s wrong about it. Nicole’s show becomes successful and the plan is to stay in LA.
At at meeting with the lawyers, Nora argues hard, despite Charlie’s insistence that Henry was going to come back to New
York. Nora argues that Charlie never listened to Nicole’s wishes of living in California, and hits him hard with details from their
relationship. Privately, Bert advises Charlie he needs to let the New York thing go, and Charlie refuses, crying. Later, Nora
and Nicole meet at the court to finalize the paperwork, having worked everything out with Bert, but then Charlie arrives with
Jay instead. Nora realizes this means they’re about to go to war. In court, Jay and Nora battle it out, using personal details
about Charlie and Nicole to attack them. Jay accuses Nicole of being an alcoholic, Nora brings up Charlie’s affair, Jay tries
to lay claim to Nicole’s TV money, and in response Nora tries to claim Charlie’s grant money. The court decides to appoint
an independent evaluator to meet and observe both parents.
Nicole goes to Charlie’s apartment, feeling the lawyers have gotten out of hand, in hopes of talking it out. Charlie agrees, but
the conversation soon devolves into a brutal, vicious argument. Charlie accuses her of lying about not being happy with him
and that she just will never be happy, she tells him how he’s so selfish he truly can’t see beyond himself, and Charlie ends up
telling her he wishes she would die - then breaks down sobbing and apologizes. Nora preps Nicole for her meeting with the
evaluator, explaining that even though fathers can have some leeway, mothers are always expected to be perfect. The
evaluator comes to observe Charlie, and during dinner Henry asks Charlie to do his trick with his pocket knife. Charlie,
worried, explains to the evaluator he would do a joke with Nicole where he would retract the knife and pretend to slash himself
- only he accidentally does slash himself, bleeding profusely. After the evaluator leaves, he lies on the kitchen floor.
Charlie and Nicole, both bleeding money in legal fees from the divorce, finally settle, Nora and Jay backing off the claims to
come after the other’s money. Henry will stay in LA, though Nora tells a confused Nicole that when Charlie is town despite
what she thought, technically it’s not shared custody - she got Nicole 55/45 percent, just because she didn’t want Charlie to
be able to say he won. In New York, at a jazz/singing bar with his cast, Charlie gets up and sings the song “Being Alive”. The
next Halloween, Nicole is happily dating someone new and nominated for an Emmy - for directing. Charlie comes to visit,
and tells Nicole that he’s taken a directing job in LA and will be there for a while. She’s happy for him. Henry finds the letter
Nicole wrote for the mediator when the divorce started and asks Charlie to help him read it. Charlie reads the letter and cries,
while Nicole looks over his shoulder. At the end of trick or treating, Nicole asks if Charlie wants to take Henry for the night,
even though it’s her night for custody. He says yes, and as he’s leaving, Nicole tells him to wait - she runs back, ties Charlie’s
untied shoe, and says goodbye.
Related Movies:
THE 40 DAYS AND 47 METERS
INTRUDER PLAYMOBIL: 40 NIGHTS DOWN:
(2019) THE RENTAL The Movie (2002) Uncaged
Charlie (Adam Driver) a New York-based director and his actress wife Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) are getting divorced. She
takes their son Henry and goes to her hometown of Los Angeles to shoot a TV pilot, and despite their agreement to not use
lawyers, hires high-powered divorce attorney Nora (Laura Dern). The most contentious point is living in LA or New York -
Charlie believes they are. New York family, and Nicole had always wanted to go back to LA and Charlie never listened to her.
When his back gets up against the wall and unable to win New York residency for Henry, Charlie hires an aggressive attorney
Jay (Ray Liotta) leading to the fight getting extremely vicious and personal. Eventually, the two settle, Charlie takes some
directing jobs in LA and Nicole becomes successful and Emmy-nominated for her own directing and the two are able to
balance their new arrangement wistfully.
Search … Search
THANKS FOR READING MARRIAGE STORY THE MOVIE PLOT
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