Margot at the Wedding (2007)

Director:

Noah Baumbach

Writer (WGA):

Noah Baumbach (written by)

Release Date:

21 February 2008 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

One family. Infinite degrees of separation.

Plot:

Margot and her son Claude decide to visit her sister Pauline after she announces that she is getting married to less-than-impressive Malcolm. In short order, the storm the sisters create leaves behind a a mess of thrashed relationships and exposed family secrets.

Plot Keywords:

Dysfunctional Family | Divorce | Mother Son Relationship | Marriage Problems | Musician

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Zane Pais	...	Claude
Susan Blackwell	...	Woman on Train
Nicole Kidman	...	Margot
Jack Black	...	Malcolm
Flora Cross	...	Ingrid
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Pauline
Seth Barrish	...	Toby
Matthew Arkin	...	Alan
Michael Cullen	...	Mr. Vogler
Enid Graham	...	Mrs. Vogler
Sophie Nyweide	...	Vogler Daughter
Justin Roth	...	Vogler Son
Ciarán Hinds	...	Dick Koosman
Halley Feiffer	...	Maisy Koosman
Joanthan Scwartz	...	Malcolm's Friend

Also Known As:

Untitled Noah Baumbach Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and language.

Runtime:

93 min | USA:91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | UK:15 | Finland:K-13 | Sweden:7 | Ireland:16 | South Korea:18 | USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

City Island, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Scott Rudin Productions

Trivia:

Originally titled "Nicole at the Beach", as a tribute to Eric Rohmer, the title was changed when Nicole Kidman was cast.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Malcolm has trouble recollecting the bassist for Motley Crue, and then remembers that it's Mick Mars. The bass player for Motley Crue is actually Nikki Sixx, although this mistake could have been intentional to further convey the forgetfulness.

Quotes:

Pauline: I was dating that guy Horace back then. Do you remember him?
Margot: Was that the guy who liked to rough you up?
Pauline: No, that was our dad.
Margot: Our dad used to strip down to his skivvies and beat us with a belt.
Malcolm: That man had a sexual screw loose.
Pauline: That's awful, that stuff that happens to kids. Malcolm was fondled by a male babysitter.
Malcolm: Just use that information however you want.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2007-11-17)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

See How We Are

One of the darkest, most complex films I've seen in a while

I just saw Margot at the Wedding at the Telluride Film Festival. My first reaction was that I liked it, but not as much as The Squid and the Whale. My friends and I started talking about it afterwards though and we ended up staying up nearly all night talking about it. It has some funny moments but it is DEFINITELY not a true comedy. It is one of darkest films I've seen in a while. It seems like a simple story but the more you think about it, the more you realize is there. There is definitely a Bergmaninfluence here, especially from Persona, which Noah Baumbach confirmed when I talked to him at the festival. Nicole Kidman's and Jennifer Jason Leigh's characters are sisters, but there came a point where they almost seemed to be extensions of the exact same character. The characters inhabit a very bizarre world filled with clues about doubles, pedophilia, possibly incest, and more. Baumbach didn't necessarily agree with everything I and some other students said about some of the film's meanings, but he did acknowledge that he was glad we were making our own interpretations and that any interpretation was legit. Overall the more I think about this movie and discuss it with my friends, the more I admire it for its darkness and depth. The script is really sharp with many subtle references and the performances are all very impressive. Just keep an open mind and discuss it afterwards to really get to the bottom of some of the film's rich complexities. See it!