History Film / MarriageStory

* LonelyBachelorPad: Charlie's apartment in LA initially barely has furnishings. When he realizes the social worker will take it against him, he spruces it up, even recruiting his set designer to guide him in making it look nice. Baumbach describes the apartment [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0PRZlM6tFs here]].

* LonelyBachelorPad: Charlie's apartment in LA initially barely has furnishings. When he realizes the social worker will take it against him, he spruces it up, even recruiting his set designer to guide him in making it look nice.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: While the film generally depicts the legal process realistically (to the point where [[https://slate.com/culture/2019/12/marriage-story-celebrity-divorce-lawyer-interview.html several]] [[https://www.themarysue.com/marriage-story-divorce-law/ lawyers]] [[https://www.zieglerandzemsky.com/blog/2019/december/the-reality-of-a-marriage-story/ have]] complimented the film's depiction of the legal process of divorce), it does take a few liberties for dramatic purposes. The biggest departure from reality is that Nicole has not lived in California long enough to establish residency and file for divorce & custody there.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Nora is utterly ruthless in her attempts to get Nora the best deal possible, but justifies it with lofty speeches about how women are mistreated in marriages and society, and deserve strong advocacy. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Whether this is genuine or for show is left unclear.]]

* KiddieKid: An example that verges on being a case of AmbiguousDisorder; Henry seems pretty immature for his age, and is still struggling to read at the age of 9.

* AbusiveParents: Charlie's parents were apparently violent alcoholics. Details aren't mentioned, but Charlie appears to have no relationship with them, shows no interest in ever visiting his hometown, Nicole mentions only meeting them once with the strong likelihood that they don't even know they have a grandson and becomes ''extremely'' upset when he's compared to his father.

* AbusiveParents: Charlie's parents were apparently violent alcoholics. Details aren't mentioned, but Charlie appears to have no relationship with them, shows no interest in ever visiting his hometown, and becomes ''extremely'' upset when he's compared to his father.

* OneHeadTaller: The height difference between the 6'2" Adam Driver and the 5'3" Scarlett Johanson results in this.
* OnlySaneMan: Bert is the only party to want to avoid a bitter fallout and custody battle. He lacks Charlie and Nicole's emotional attachment or Nora and Jay's self-interest, while provides Charlie with good advice built around making the process as painless as possible, especially for Henry.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: By the end, having gone through a miserable and expensive process, Charlie and Nicole ultimately come to terms and prove that they can co-parent reasonably and with kindness. But their marriage is clearly over, their family dynamic will never go back to the way it was, and they both seem to regret what they've lost]].

* SarcasticTitle: PlayedWith. The marriage is already over before the film begins -- the film is about divorce, but WordOfGod describes it as "a movie about marriage as seen through divorce."

'''Charlie:''' I don’t know how to start.

''Marriage Story'' is a 2019 {{dramedy}} film directed by Creator/NoahBaumbach, starring Creator/AdamDriver and Creator/ScarlettJohansson. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in late August and had a limited theatrical run in November before being released by Creator/{{Netflix}} on December 6.

Charlie (Driver) is a prominent New York-based theatre director; Nicole (Johansson) is his lead actress. They were married for 10 years and are parents to an 8-year-old son, Henry, but are now separating.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: Bert outright warns Charlie how the case is going to end up, and advises him to settle. Charlie gets a more aggressive (and expensive) lawyer to fight it in court, and after a long and painful process, winds up with almost exactly the settlement Bert advised.

* CustodyBattle: Charlie and Nicole fight for custody over their son Henry since Nicole wants to move to Los Angeles while Charlie wishes to remain in New York. During the proceedings, Nicole's lawyer asserts that mothers automatically deserve custody over fathers. The film ends with both Charlie and Nicole trying to co-parent amicably for Henry's sake.

->'''Nicole:''' I thought we should talk.
->'''Charlie:''' Okay.
->''(long silence)''
->'''Charlie:''' I don’t know how to start.

* AmicableExes: What Charlie and Nicole are aiming to be for the sake of their son, Henry, and the loving marriage they once shared. [[spoiler:This grows {{subverted|Trope}} as their divorce becomes far more bitter than either anticipated, but [[DoubleSubversion double subverted]] by the end, as they are able to be amiable in the final scene and co-parent.]]

* DivorceIsTemporary: Very much {{averted}}, the film begins by making it clear that reconciliation is unrealistic, and it gets worse from there. Even when it's clear that they still care about one another, it's also obvious that the marriage is over.

--->'''Sandra:''' And we love Charlie.
--->'''Nicole:''' You have to stop loving him, Mom. You can't be friends with him anymore!
--->'''Sandra:''' Charlie and I have our own relationship, independent of your marriage.

* GoodIsImpotent: Ultimately averted. Bert is a sweet and kindly old lawyer who genuinely cares about his clients and puts Henry's interests first, but his amiable nature seems to allow Nora to just roll over him. In the end, though, the much more aggressive (and expensive) AmoralAttorney he's replaced with can't get a better deal, and taking Bert's advice in the first place would saved a great deal of time, money and pain.

-->'''Nicole:''' I think Charlie also slept with Mary Ann, the stage manager.
-->'''Nora:''' ''[vehemently]'' That fucking asshole.

* SarcasticTitle: PlayedWith. The marriage is already over before the film begins - the film is about divorce, but WordOfGod describes it as "a movie about marriage as seen through divorce."

* AmbiguousDisorder: While it's claimed that Henry is "off the charts" in math, he's still struggling to read at age 9. He also comes across as immature and socially undeveloped, tends to avoid eye contact, and becomes intensely focused on his imaginary games.

Charlie (Driver) is a prominent New York-based theatre director. Nicole (Johansson) is his lead actress. They were married for 10 years and are parents to an 8-year-old son, Henry, but are now separating.

Their separation coincides with Nicole's move to Los Angeles, where she has been offered a role in a TV pilot. Los Angeles is Nicole's home and she intends to take Henry with her to settle there. Charlie's life and career are built around New York and he cannot imagine relocating from the city. But he also cannot imagine living away from Henry.

So a separation that began amicably heads to a bitter court battle, especially once Nicole and Charlie each hire high-powered attorneys (Creator/LauraDern and Creator/RayLiotta) who both relish the opportunity to "win" this no-win situation for their respective clients.

* AmbiguousSituation: Nicole has valid reasons for moving to LA, but abrupting filing for divorce while there puts Charlie at a big disadvantage. It's unclear whether she intended this or not.
* AmicableExes: What Charlie and Nicole are aiming to be for the sake of their son, Henry, and the loving marriage they once shared. [[spoiler: SubvertedTrope, as their divorce becomes far more bitter than either anticipated. DoubleSubvertedTrope by the end, when Charlie and Nicole are able to be amiable in the final scene and co-parent.]]

* BlatantLies: Charlie, literally dripping blood, insists to the court evaluator that he's fine. Then he tries to hide the gash in his arm by pulling down the sleeve of his shirt. [[SarcasmMode That should take care of it.]]

* CreatorCouple: In-Universe. Charlie is a prominent New York theatre director while Nicole is an actress in his company.

* DivorceIsTemporary: Very much {{Averted}}, the film begins by making it clear that reconciliation is unrealistic, and it gets worse from there. Even when it's clear that they still care about one another, it's also obvious that the marriage is over.

--->'''Nicole:''' You have to stop loving him, Mom. You can't be friend with him anymore!

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The opening features the two main characters reading lists they've written as an exercise for their mediator in which they tell what they like best about each other. They each list being "competitive" as something good about the other person.
** In the opening montage, when Nicole is talking about Charlie being "competitive", we see a flashback of him appearing genuinely angry about losing a game of Monopoly to their 9-year-old son. This gives us a glimpse of Charlie's temper problems right from the start.
* GoodIsImpotent: Ultimately averted. Bert is a sweet and kindly old lawyer who genuinely cares about his clients and puts Henry's interests first, but his amiable nature seems to allow Nora to just roll over him. In the end though, the much more aggressive (and expensive) AmoralAttorney he's replaced with can't get a better deal, and taking Bert's advice in the first place would saved a great deal of time, money and pain.

* IWishedYouWereDead: Charlie's massive fight with Nicole, after some time of intensifying emotion and more aggressive insults, ends with him screaming that every day he wishes she was dead, even going as far to describe how he wants it to happen (she gets an illness and is then hit by a car). [[BrokenTears He immediately breaks down]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone in remorse]].

* KickTheDog: [[spoiler:Nora goes behind Nicole's back and gets her a 55/45 custody split instead of the 50/50 Nicole wanted just because ''she'' wanted it for bragging rights.]]

* PunchAWall: At one point in the movie Nicole and Charlie have a huge argument and Charlie punches a wall in frustration.

* SarcasticTitle: PlayedWith. The marriage is already over before the film begins- the film is about divorce, but WordOfGod describes it as "a movie about marriage as seen through divorce."

* StylisticSuck: From what we see of both Nicole's StarMakingRole and the pilot she films, they're quite cheesy. In spite of this, Nicole does her best to [[TookTheBadFilmSeriously Take The Bad Roles Seriously]].

* TomHanksSyndrome: In-universe. Nicole's most famous film role was a raunchy college sex comedy, but she went on to have a prolific career in various serious and artistically-driven stage performances. [[spoiler: By the end, it's revealed that she's not only directing her own show, but has also been nominated for an Emmy for it.]]

* DivorceAssetsConflict: DoubleSubverted. Both Charlie and Nicole have their own careers, and neither of them ''wants'' to take anything away from the other. But once they get into a battle over custody, and subsequently hire [[AmoralAttorney Nora and Jay]], everything becomes part of the fight, including money. At the end of the film, the division of assets is basically exactly what they'd originally wanted, and they acknowledge that [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot things would have been less painful]] if they had just worked things out between the two of them.

* GreyAndGreyMorality: Neither Charlie nor Nicole are better or worse than the other. Both do questionable things but remain fundamentally likable people. Similarly, both parties' lawyers tend to skew the truth to present the case favorably for their respective clients--not because they are evil but because that is what their job requires them to do. Nora states outright that "the system rewards bad behavior".

** ''Both'' Charlie and Nicole are painfully self-centered in their behavior and decision-making. The only subject they are capable of making any sort of compromises is Henry - not due to ability to step down, but the realization of how destructive it could be for his well-being.

* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: Nicole's lawyer, Nora Fanshaw, wears outfits that are to die for and metaphorically kicks ass while wearing them.

* LoveForgivesAllButLust: ZigZaggingTrope. As Nicole tells it, Charlie's suspected infidelity is a footnote, a largely unimportant detail in her reasons for wanting a divorce. Nora, however, latches onto this.

-->'''Nora:''' [vehemently] That fucking asshole.

* RecycledPremise: Much like ''Theatre/TheLastFiveYears'', it's an introspective and deeply personal look at the end of a relationship, inspired by the creator's own divorce. Both center around the marriage of two creative people, which eventually breaks down at least in part because a professional mismatch in their careers sparks jealousy, and because one is too [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered]].

* SarcasticTitle: PlayedWith. The marriage is already over before the film begins- the film is about divorce, but [[WordOfGod Baumbach]] describes it as "a movie about marriage as seen through divorce."

** Charlie's case for getting primary custody of Henry is that they were [[InsistentTerminology "a New York family"]], but Nicole and both of Charlie's lawyers repeatedly point out that there's little evidence to support this notion beyond Charlie's assumptions. [[spoiler:Ultimately, he does not receive primary custody for these oft-highlighted reasons.]]

* AmicableExes: What Charlie and Nicole are aiming to be for the sake of their son, Henry, and the loving marriage they once shared. [[spoiler: Despite how bitter the divorce process ends up being, Charlie and Nicole end up successfully becoming this.]]

* AbusiveParents: Charlie's parents were apparently violent alcoholics. Nicole mentions that she only met them once. Details aren't mentioned, but Charlie appears to have no relationship with them, shows no interest in ever visiting his hometown, and becomes ''extremely'' upset when he's compared to his father.

* FamilyOfChoice: Nicole's mother, Sandra, is this to Charlie. Much to Nicole's indignation, her mother continues to treat Charlie as "family" after the marriage is over.
** The theater company also seems to be this for Charlie. Nicole comments that, having no relationship with his own parents, he has a talent for 'creating a family' wherever he goes.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Film/KramerVsKramer''.

* IgnoredExpert: Bert is both a very skilled attorney and someone who knows full well how to avoid making the divorce worse than it needs to be for everyone, especially Henry. Sadly, Charlie and Nicole let their emotions get the better of them and much of what he says goes unheeded.

** ''Both'' Charlie and Nicole are painfully self-centered and narcissistic in their behavior and decision-making. The only subject they are capable of making any sort of compromises is Henry - not due to ability to step down, but the realization of how destructive it could be for his well-being.

* DivorceAssetsConflict: DoubleSubverted. Both Charlie and Nicole have their own careers, and neither of them ''wants'' to take anything away from the other. But once they get into a battle over custody, and subsequently hire [[AmoralAttorney Nora and Jay]], the proceedings into a full-blown, with everything as part of the fight [[ItsAllAboutMe purely to prevent the other lawyer from winning]]. At the end of the film, the division of assets is basically exactly what they'd originally wanted, and they acknowledge that [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot things would have been less painful]] if they had just worked things out between the two of them.
* DivorceIsTemporary: {{Averted}}, as there's never any real suggestion that they might reconcile. Even when it's clear that they still care about one another, it's clear that the marriage is over.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Charlie is uncomfortable with Jay's tactics to start with, but walks out when Jay suggests extorting Nicole's mother by withholding Henry. As things get worse, Charlie finally does hire Jay, but that particular tactic is never pursued.

** In the opening montage, when Nicole is talking about Charlie being "competitive", we see a flashback of him appearing seriously angry about losing a game of Monopoly to his son. This gives us a glimpse of Charlie's temper right from the start.