A love triangles play out in writer-director Ed Burns’s Millers in Marriage. The Millers are Maggie (Julianna Margulies), Andy (Ed Burns), and Eve (Gretchen Mol). Each is involved in a marriage on the verge of collapse. Andy is married but currently separated from Tina (Morena Baccarin) and is now dating Renee (Minnie Driver). On this particular weekend, Andy and Renee drive to Renee’s mountain home to attend a family dinner with Andy’s sister, Maggie.
Maggie is a popular novelist married to a fading novelist, Nick (Campbell Scott). Professional jealousy leads to conflict and ultimately drives Maggie into the arms of her old friend Dennis (Brian d’Arcy James). Eve is a housewife married to rock manager Scott (Patrick Wilson). Because Eve was once a rocker herself, music journalist Johnny (Benjamin Bratt) wants to interview Scott for book research. Johnny invites Eve for lunch to see if she can get Scott to agree and sparks fly.
Clearly, the best thing about Millers in Marriage is the cast. Top-notch movie and television actors—all great at turning a melodramatic story into something unique and palatable…maybe. I have zero complaints about the acting, and it’s great to see actors I’ve admired my whole life in a movie together.
“Andy is married but currently separated from Tina and is now dating Renee.”
Millers in Marriage feels like a soap opera, each story circling the same themes. Each of the Millers is involved in a marriage on the decline, and each is tempted to stray from it. For Andy, this is because his wife left to sow the oats of her youth. Maggie and Nick fight over professional success. Eve and Scott drift apart because of Scott’s drug and alcohol problems and his wandering wee-wee. Each scene is shot with a style reminiscent of a soap opera, albeit on film. The camera swaps from one story to another in a slow transition. One intriguing stylistic choice is the use of instant flashbacks that suddenly appear to support a current conversation.
My issue with Millers in Marriage is its repetitive themes and its avoidance of a happy ending of any kind. Sure, it’s interesting to watch marriages fall apart, but damn, how about a moment of hope?
Millers in Marriage boasts a stellar cast, and some intriguing storytelling flourishes, but its focus on marital infidelity makes it a bit of a slog. The film’s repetitive themes and lack of emotional payoff leave it feeling more like a beautifully acted therapy session than a fully satisfying story. If there had been more hope or a chance for the characters to grow and change, it would have been a much more engaging and satisfying story.
"…damn, how about a moment of hope?"
