Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

Marriage Story is exceptional filmmaking that will gut you. Baumbach has crafted something rare: a divorce movie that doesn't pick sides, that shows two good people at their absolute worst, and that somehow maintains empathy for everyone involved (except maybe the lawyers).

The performances are career-best work. The writing is sharp enough to draw blood. The famous fight scene is so uncomfortable you'll want to leave the room. And that's the point—this isn't entertainment in the traditional sense, it's a mirror held up to how relationships can curdle even when both people started with love.

For parents: this is not for your kids. Period. The language alone disqualifies it, but more importantly, the emotional content is too raw. If you have a 17-year-old heading to college who's emotionally mature and wants to understand adult relationships, maybe. But mostly this is for you, after the kids are in bed, possibly with a glass of wine, definitely with tissues nearby.

It's a must-watch for adults who appreciate serious drama, but calling it 'enjoyable' feels wrong. It's more like necessary—a film that makes you think hard about communication, compromise, and what happens when two people's stories about the same life diverge completely.

Age Fit

This is strictly for older teens (16+) and adults. The R rating is earned through language and sexual references, but the real maturity requirement is emotional—this is an unflinching look at divorce that requires life experience to fully appreciate. Not a family movie by any stretch.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

45

This is a raw, emotionally brutal depiction of divorce at its ugliest. While it's compassionate and ultimately fair to both characters, watching two good people tear each other apart through lawyers and custody battles is the opposite of feel-good. The film shows screaming matches, deep resentment, and the collateral damage on their young son. It's honest and humane, but not wholesome in tone—it's designed to make you squirm.

Imaginative

72

Baumbach's script is sharp and observant, finding dark comedy in the machinery of divorce (the lawyers, the evaluators, the absurd rituals). The film captures the creative worlds of theater and film with specificity. It doesn't invite participation or world-building, but it offers a deeply imaginative look at how two people can see the same marriage completely differently—the dual perspectives are cleverly constructed.

Safe

35

Rated R for pervasive strong language (including f-bombs in front of the child), sexual references, and brief sexual content. The emotional intensity is the real safety concern—the famous screaming fight scene where Adam Driver yells brutal things is genuinely upsetting. Kids overhearing this would be disturbed. Common Sense Media rates it 16+. This isn't a movie you want playing when kids are around unless you're intentionally watching with an older teen.

Enriching

88

For mature teens and adults, this is a masterclass in empathy and perspective-taking. It refuses to pick sides, showing how both people can be right and wrong simultaneously. The performances (Driver and Johansson) are stunning. It offers real insight into how relationships unravel, how legal systems can amplify conflict, and how people cope when their identity is tied to a partnership that's ending. Critically acclaimed (95% RT, 94 Metacritic) for good reason—it's emotionally intelligent and thought-provoking.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Stunning performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson that feel painfully real
Refuses to pick sides—shows how both people can be simultaneously right and wrong in a relationship's collapse
Sharp, observant writing that finds dark humor in the absurdity of the divorce process
Offers genuine insight into perspective-taking, empathy, and how identity gets tangled up in partnership
Critically acclaimed across the board (95% RT critics, 94 Metacritic)—this is serious filmmaking

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What to Watch For

Emotionally brutal—the famous screaming fight will stay with you for days
Strong language throughout, including f-bombs used in front of their young son
Sexual references and brief sexual content (though not graphic)
This is heavy adult material about the worst parts of divorce—not remotely appropriate for anyone under 16
If you're going through a divorce yourself, this might hit too close to home

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think both Charlie and Nicole felt like the other person was being unreasonable?"
"How did the lawyers change the way they communicated with each other?"
"What do you think the movie is saying about how we remember relationships differently?"
"Did you find yourself taking sides, or did the film successfully make you see both perspectives?"
"How do you think their son Henry is processing everything we see happening?"

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