In the upcoming HBO Max mini-series Scenes from A Marriage, Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac play a married couple whose union is chronicled by showing moments, exchanges, and days from the fictional couple’s life together. As each episode heightens, the tension between the couple does too, leading to a break that cannot be mended. It’s a devastating, emotional examination of a marriage coming to its breaking point, and two people trying to make sense of how their relationship seemingly fell apart.
The critically acclaimed series makes its debut on HBO Max on Sept. 12 and promises to throw an emotional punch at audiences. But the five-episode series isn’t the first, nor will it be the last, narrative to cover the extremely personal topic of failing marriages and divorce. In fact, this iteration of Scenes From A Marriage is a contemporary adaptation of the 1973 Ingmar Bergman series of the same name.
Prior to and since the original 1973 series, there have been a number of films and TV shows that examine marriages at their brink. Some of these stories draw from the inspiration of real-life events. Others simply find emotional resonance in the turmoil of fictional stories. Marriage isn’t easy, but these movies and TV shows really showcase the heaviness and pain that can occur when they’re clearly coming to a devastating end.
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‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’
Who’s Afraid of Virgia Woolf is the lauded 1966 film adaptation of the Edward Albee play of the same name. Directed by Mike Nichols, the film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis as two couples on one drunken night of deception and games.
Neither couple’s marriage is what it seems, and in the twisted scheme that Taylor and Burton’s characters play, truths are revealed that nearly break both marriages apart. It’s a film that goes from 0 to 60 in a matter of moments, and remains an absolute classic to this day.
You can rent the film for just $1.99 on Amazon.
‘Scenes From A Marriage’ (1973)
Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 series Scenes From A Marriage chronicles the disintigration of one couple’s union over the course of a decade. Starring Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson, the Swedish TV series was lauded for its realism and nuance, as it discussed the very honest reality some couples face as their relationships come to an end. The series also serves as the inspiration for the latest 2021 iteration.
You can watch Scenes From A Marriage with a Free Trial on HBO Max.
‘Heartburn’
Loosely based on Nora Ephron’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, 1986’s Heartburn stars Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson as a couple who fall in love, fall out of it, and repeat the cycle over the course of their marriage. There’s infidelity, whip-smart writing, and the star power of Nicholson and Streep — which just can’t be resisted.
Rent on Amazon for just $3.99.
‘Revolutionary Road’
Based on the 1961 novel by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road is a painful tale of a couple’s relationship and marriage in the late ’40s and early ’50s. While the Wheelers begin their romance with hope and ambition, reality quickly sets in, and their unhappiness and apathy toward their marriage heats to a boiling point. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and you can watch it on Hulu.
‘A Separation’
Asghar Farhadi’s lauded A Separation tackles the dissolution of marriage and the compelling difficulty of compromise in relationships. When a couple is forced to choose between bettering their child’s life by moving to another country, or staying in their current home to help an elderly parent, tensions rise and sides are taken. The 2011 drama is available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon.
‘Blue Valentine’
Blue Valentine, starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, is a heartbreaking look at a relationship and marriage reaching its end. The film approaches the relationship between Cindy and Dean through non-linear storytelling, showing the couple at different points in their relationship and marriage before it comes crashing down.
The film is available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon.
‘Before Midnight’
The final chapter in Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, Before Midnight picks up nine years after Before Sunset and 18 years after Before Sunrise, where Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) are now a couple with a set of twin daughters. While their union appears strong, their relationship comes to a tipping point during a trip to Greece, where the couple questions their love and relationship 18 years after meeting on a train where their love story began.
You can rent Before Midnight on Amazon for $3.99.
‘Marriage Story’
2019’s Marriage Story stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as a couple coming to terms with the end of their marriage. The film exams both characters’ journeys as they grapple with their failed union and try to determine the best way to co-parent their young son. Both Johansson and Driver earned Oscar nominations for their performances, and you can watch it now on Netflix.
‘The Affair’
The lives of the Solloways are completely rattled throughout the course of The Affair. An extramarital affair proves to be the catalyst for changing Noah (Dominic West) and Helen’s (Maura Tierney) lives forever in this dramatic series with the fractured Solloway union at its center.
Watch The Affair with a subscription to Showtime via Hulu.
‘Master of None: Moments in Love’
Season 3 of Master of None takes a lot of inspiration from Bergman’s 1973 Scenes From A Marriage, too. The third season, entitled Moments in Love, chronicles the relationship between Alicia and Denise, whose marriage takes a turn following a dinner with another couple in the first episode.
Watch it now on Netflix.
‘The Crown’
Although The Crown takes inspiration from the events of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and the British royal family, many of the conversations and interactions between the characters, based on the real life people, are fictionalized. That said, between the stories of the ill-fated marriages of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong Jones, and even Princess Anne’s first marriage, there are plenty of incredibly personal and painful recollections and musings of marriages that suffered in the public eye.
You can watch The Crown on Netflix.
‘Scenes From A Marriage’ (2021)
The upcoming iteration of Scenes From A Marriage takes a modern look at the relationship between Mira (Jessica Chastain) and Jonathan (Oscar Isaac). Over the course of the mini-series, the couple’s marriage is chronicled in mere days from their time together. It’s a thoughtfully executed piece, which has earned rave reviews from critics.
Scenes From A Marriage will be available on HBO Max on September 12.
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