Margot at the Wedding Information

Margot at the Wedding is a 2007 tragicomedy written and directed by Noah Baumbach.

The film premiered August 31, 2007 at the 34th Telluride Film Festival.

Plot

Margot (Nicole Kidman) is a successful but neurotic writer who brings her 11-year-old son Claude (Zane Pais) to spend a weekend visiting her free-spirited sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) on the eve of her wedding to Malcolm (Jack Black) at Pauline & Malcom's home on Long Island. Margot disapproves of Pauline's choice of fiancé, which will become one of several sources of tension between the two sisters. Malcom is also free-spirited, but also unsuccessful, unmotivated, socially inappropriate and "completely unattractive. Because much of Malcom's time is spent dabbling in painting, playing music and writing letters to magazines, Margot feels that Pauline could do better. While in town, Margot will also be interviewed in a local bookstore by Dick Koosman (Ciarán Hinds), a successful author with whom Margot is collaborating on a screenplay. Dick's teenage daughter Maisie (Halley Feiffer) also visits the house.

Although Pauline is happy that Margot showed up, the two share a wellspring of tension. Margot disapproves of Pauline's life-choices - besides marrying Malcom, Pauline is pregnant, a fact that she hasn't shared with Malcom or her pre-teenage daughter Ingrid. Pauline resents how her life experiences have been used in Margot's writing. She is also incensed when Margot shares secrets told to her in confidence - including her pregnancy. Each of the sisters feels unfairly picked on by the other. Rather than take their frustrations out on each other, the sisters target those around them. Pauline twits her fiancee's sense of inadequacy. Margot skewers her son's burgeoning physical and emotional awkwardness. As he grows up, Claue becomes more of a legitimate target of her merciless powers of observation.

Tensions come to a head twice. Margot's interview goes disastrously wrong when Dick's questions become personal. While Pauline interrogates him about emails he received from one of her 20 year old students, Malcom admits he kissed Maisie. Returning to the house, Pauline finds Maisie inside. Though Pauline says nothing, it's obvious to Maisie that Pauline knows the truth. Learning of Malcom's inappropriate behavior with Maisie, Dick angrily beats Malcom while Pauline and Ingrid escape Malcom and the house with Margot and Claude.

Fleeing to a motel, Pauline angrily confronts Margot about how her life has been used in Margot's writing. The next day, as Margot advises her to make a break from Malcom, Pauline calls him. His misery keeps her from rejecting him outright, though it's not clear that she will abandon him.

Margot decides to stay with her sister, even as she sends Claude by bus to Vermont. As the bus pulls away with Claude, Margot has a change of heart and chases after it. Taking a seat next to a happily surprised Claude, Margot catches her breath.

Cast

• Nicole Kidman as Margot
• Jennifer Jason Leigh as Pauline
• Jack Black as Malcolm
• John Turturro as Jim
• Ciarán Hinds as Dick Koosman
• Halley Feiffer as Maisy Koosman
• Seth Barrish as Toby
• Michael Cullen as Mr. Volger
• Enid Graham as Mrs. Volger
• Zane Pais as Claude
• Flora Cross as Ingrid

Production

Margot at the Wedding was shot from April"June 2006 in various New York locations including Shelter Island, Hampton Bays, East Quogue, Long Island and City Island, Bronx.

The script's working title was Nicole at the Beach, but it was changed when Kidman signed on.

Release

The film premiered August 31, 2007 at the 34th Telluride Film Festival. It was also shown at the Toronto Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and the Mill Valley Film Festival. The film opened in limited release in the United States on November 16, 2007. It opened in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2008 and at two cinemas in Melbourne, Australia on February 21, 2008.

Soundtrack

Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips acted as the film's music consultants, and the film "features the more obscure singer-songwriters that Baumbach is obsessed with...like 70's post-Dylan folkie Steve Forbert, British singer-songwriter and occasional Pink Floyd guest Lesley Duncan, Brooklyn born singer songwriter Evie Sands (covered both Beck and Beth Orton) and New York Anti-folk artist Diane Cluck."

• "Northern Blue" by Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips
• "Romeo's Tune" by Steve Forbert
• "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" performed by Jack Black
• "Genesis" by Jorma Kaukonen
• "One Fine Summer Morning" performed by Evie Sands
• "Goin' Down to Laurel" by Steve Forbert
• "The Wagon" by Dinosaur Jr.
• "Dear Mary" by Steve Miller Band
• "See How We Are" performed by X
• "Sunday Girl" performed by Zane Pais
• "Everything Changes" by Lesley Duncan
• "Union City Blue" by Blondie
• "You and Me" by Alice Cooper
• "Clair" by Gilbert O'Sullivan
• "Easy to Be Around" by Diane Cluck
• "Nothing Is Wrong" performed by The dB's
• "That's All For Everyone" by Fleetwood Mac
• "On and On" performed by Michael Medeiros
• "Teen Angel" by Donovan
• "Something on Your Mind" performed by Karen Dalton

Reception

Critical response

Critics gave the film mixed reviews. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 52% based on reviews from 153 critics. Metacritic gives the film an average score of 66 out of 100, based on 37 reviews.

Box office

The film has grossed US$1,995,043 in the United States and Canada .

The film has made US$2,897,757 worldwide.

Accolades

Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader named it the sixth best film of the year in a tie of a dozen mainstream releases. Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer named it the 7th best film of 2007, Scott Foundas of LA Weekly named it the 8th best film of 2007, and Kyle Smith of the New York Post named it the 9th best film of 2007.

Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards	Best Supporting Actress	Jennifer Jason Leigh
Satellite Award	Satellite Award for Best Actress " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy	Nicole Kidman
	Satellite Award for Best Film " Musical or Comedy	Noah Baumbach
Independent Spirit Award	Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female	Jennifer Jason Leigh
Gotham Awards	Best Ensemble Cast	Cast
	Best Film	Noah Baumbach
Peñíscola Comedy Film Festival	Best Actress	Jennifer Jason Leigh
	Best Director	Noah Baumbach