When my son told me about Marriage Story, a movie that was then soon to be out in theatres and later on Netflix, he suggested I see it in a theatre in order to hear, see and feel the audience reactions. He’s a wise man, and so I followed his advice and went to see it at the Coolidge Corner theatre in Brookline. The end of the movie was met with a thundering silence. People got up from their seats and gradually without words cautiously moved themselves down the aisles and out the door. It was an odd sort of silence- pensive, uncomfortable, funereal.
As a family law practitioner there was so much to unpack. Of course the couple and the unraveling of their relationship, but also the lawyers and their tactical strategies, the mediator’s attempt to resolve conflicts outside of the court process, the Court appointed investigator, and the portrayal of a system of family restructuring that tries mightily to do well by families though it often misses the mark. I watched the movie a second time (on Netflix) with a friend/therapist which resulted in further discussions. Afterward I found myself struggling to draft a meaningful blog. Having mentioned to my son, who is a writer, my difficulty in writing this blog he rescued me by suggesting that perhaps this movie warranted more than one blog post to flush out my thinking. So, I’ve written a series of blog installments and will post one each day next week.
Monday – Marriage Story – December 16, 2019
The Relationship, or “You Chose this Life and Then You Blamed Me For It”
Tuesday – Marriage Story – December 17, 2019
The Lawyers, or “Do You Realize How Maddening You Sound?”
Wednesday – Marriage Story – December 18, 2019
The Parenting Investigation, or “Do you ever observe married people”?
Thursday – Marriage Story – December 19, 2019
The Child, or “Pushing, Pulling, and Am I the Check at the End of Dinner?”
Friday – Marriage Story – December 20, 2019
Extended Family, or “Who’s in this Marriage Anyway?”