 | This articleneeds aplot summary. Pleaseadd one in your own words.(March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Scenes from a Marriage | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Based on | Scenes from a Marriage byIngmar Bergman |
| Developed by | Hagai Levi |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Hagai Levi |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Evgueni and Sacha Galperine |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Carver Karaszewski |
| Cinematography | Andrij Parekh |
| Editor | Yael Hersonski |
| Running time | 56–63 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | September 12 (2021-09-12) – October 10, 2021 (2021-10-10) |
Scenes from a Marriage is an Americandrama televisionminiseries developed, written and directed byHagai Levi produced forHBO, and starringOscar Isaac andJessica Chastain. It is an English-language remake of the1973 Swedish miniseries of the same name byIngmar Bergman. It was presented at the2021 Venice Film Festival and it premiered on September 12, 2021, on HBO.[1] For his performance, Isaac was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award, aSAG Award and aGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, with Chastain also earning a Golden Globe nomination forBest Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Film.[2]
An adaptation of the1970s Swedish miniseries focusing on a contemporary American couple.[3]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Innocence and Panic" | Hagai Levi | Hagai Levi andAmy Herzog | September 12, 2021 (2021-09-12) | 0.224[4] |
| 2 | "Poli" | Hagai Levi | Hagai Levi | September 19, 2021 (2021-09-19) | 0.133[5] |
| 3 | "The Vale of Tears" | Hagai Levi | Hagai Levi | September 26, 2021 (2021-09-26) | 0.165[6] |
| 4 | "The Illiterates" | Hagai Levi | Hagai Levi | October 3, 2021 (2021-10-03) | 0.146[7] |
| 5 | "In the Middle of the Night, in a Dark House, Somewhere in the World" | Hagai Levi | Hagai Levi and Amy Herzog | October 10, 2021 (2021-10-10) | 0.154[8] |
The five-part miniseries follows Mira, a tech executive, and Jonathan, a philosophy professor, as the seams of their seemingly stable marriage come apart. After a research interview about their relationship exposes hidden tensions, Mira admits she is unhappy and has fallen for someone else, leaving Jonathan and their young daughter. The story follows the couple's difficult separation and divorce, interspersed with moments of tenderness that keep drawing them back together.
Over the years both start new relationships, yet they continue to meet, sometimes for comfort and sometimes to reopen old wounds, testing whether their enduring intimacy can survive the damage. In the end, after a secret reunion that briefly rekindles their bond, Mira and Jonathan accept that they will always matter to each other but cannot live as a couple, settling into a fragile peace as co-parents.
It was announced in July 2020 thatHBO had given the miniseries a greenlight, withHagai Levi writing and directing, andOscar Isaac andMichelle Williams serving as executive producers.[9] Upon the miniseries order announcement, Isaac and Williams were also cast to star.[9] Williams would be forced to exit her starring role in October due to a scheduling conflict, but would remain as an executive producer. She was replaced withJessica Chastain.[10][11] In November 2020,Sunita Mani was cast in a supporting role.[12]Nicole Beharie,Corey Stoll andTovah Feldshuh would join in supporting roles in January 2021.[13]
Filming began inNew York City in October 2020,[10] and was halted for two weeks in November after two production staff members tested positive forCOVID-19.[14]
The five-episode limited series had its world premiere at the78th Venice International Film Festival in the out of competition category.[15] The limited series premiered on September 12, 2021, on HBO.[1]
Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported a 81% approval rating with an average rating of 7.50/10, based on 48 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "ThoughScenes from a Marriage's straightforward approach at times struggles to justify its existence,Jessica Chastain andOscar Isaac's crackling chemistry and impressive performances are a sight to behold."[16]Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on 24 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Innocence and Panic" | September 12, 2021 | 0.03 | 0.224[4] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2 | "Poli" | September 19, 2021 | 0.03 | 0.133[5] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 3 | "The Vale of Tears" | September 26, 2021 | 0.03 | 0.165[6] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 4 | "The Illiterates" | October 3, 2021 | 0.02 | 0.146[7] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 5 | "In the Middle of the Night, in a Dark House, Somewhere in the World" | October 10, 2021 | 0.02 | 0.154[8] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film | Oscar Isaac | Nominated | [18] |
| Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film | Jessica Chastain | Nominated | |||
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Music Supervision for a Trailer | Gregory Sweeney | Nominated | [19] | |
| Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series | Scenes from a Marriage | Nominated | [20] | |
| Best Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series | Oscar Isaac | Won | |||
| Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series | Jessica Chastain | Nominated | |||
| Best Directing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series | Hagai Levi(for "The Illiterates") | Nominated | |||
| Best Writing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series | Nominated | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Oscar Isaac | Nominated | [21][22] | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Nominated | [23] |
