Margot at the Wedding
Margot (Nicole Kidman) is a successful but self-absorbed writer; it is suggested that she has borderline personality disorder. She 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 their home on Long Island. Margot disapproves of Pauline's choice of fiancé: Malcolm is an unsuccessful musician whom Margot considers "completely unattractive". While in town, Margot will also be interviewed in a local bookstore by Dick Koosman (Ciarán Hinds), a successful author with whom she is collaborating on a screenplay. Dick's teenage daughter Maisy (Halley Feiffer) also visits the house.
Margot and Pauline have an uneasy relationship. Margot disapproves of Pauline's life-choices - besides marrying Malcolm, Pauline is pregnant, a fact that she hasn't shared with Malcolm or her pre-teen daughter Ingrid. Pauline, meanwhile, resents Margot for writing and publishing thinly-disguised stories about her life. She is also incensed when Margot shares secrets told to her in confidence - including her pregnancy. Rather that confront each other, however, Pauline and Margot take out their frustrations on Malcolm and Claude, respectively.
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, Malcolm admits he kissed Maisy. Returning to the house, Pauline finds Maisy inside. Though Pauline says nothing, it's obvious to Maisy that Pauline knows the truth. When Dick finds out what happened, he beats Malcolm up. Pauline and Ingrid escape Malcolm and the house with Margot and Claude.
Pauline get into a heated argument, unleashing years of resentment. The next day, Pauline calls Malcolm, intent on breaking up with him. When he begs for forgiveness, however, she gives in and takes him back.
Margot decides to stay with her sister, and puts Claude on a bus to Vermont so he can live with his father. As the bus pulls away with Claude, Margot has a change of heart and chases after it. Taking a seat next to a surprised Claude, Margot catches her breath.
violence, storytelling, romantic