Margot at the Wedding

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.

Release Year: 2007

Rating: 6.0/10 (10,523 voted)

Critic's Score: 66/100

Director:
Noah Baumbach

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Flora Cross

Storyline
A slice of family life: sisters, husbands, children, history, secrets, jealousies. Margot and her teen son, Claude, travel from Manhattan to her family's Long Island home, occupied by sister Pauline, Pauline's daughter, and Malcolm, the slacker Pauline will marry outdoors that week under a tree neighbors want removed. Backbiting marks family discussion, particularly between the sisters and in Margot's cutting remarks to Claude. Pauline tells Margot a secret that Margot promptly tells Claude. Margot dislikes Malcolm and undermines him. She also has marital problems and a lover nearby. People are cruel, inside and outside their families. Is there a refuge for Margot or for Pauline?

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

Brian Kelley
–

Bruce

Christian Hansen
–

Fireman

Michael Cullen
–

Mr. Vogler

Enid Graham
–

Mrs. Vogler

Sophie Nyweide
–

Vogler Daughter

Justin Roth
–

Vogler Son

Ciarán Hinds
–

Dick Koosman

Taglines:
One family. Infinite degrees of separation.

Details

Official Website:
Official site |

Release Date: 21 February 2008

Filming Locations: City Island, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $10,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $81,035
(USA)
(18 November 2007)
(2 Screens)

Gross: $1,959,420
(USA)
(31 January 2008)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min
 |
USA: 91 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

The cinematographer, Harris Savides, used old lenses and shot mostly in natural light to get the dim, ominous look of the film.

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:

Claude:
Did she poop in her pants?

Margot:
It happens to everyone, not just babies. It will happen to you too someday.

User Review

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

Rating: 10/10


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!