Scenes from a Marriage is an American drama television miniseries created, written, and directed by Hagai Levi for HBO. It stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. The show is an English version of a 1973 Swedish miniseries with the same name, made by Ingmar Bergman. The miniseries was shown at the 2021 Venice Film Festival and first aired on HBO on September 12, 2021. For his role, Oscar Isaac was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a SAG Award, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film. Jessica Chastain also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Film.
Cast
- Oscar Isaac plays Jonathan Levy
- Jessica Chastain plays Mira Phillips
- Nicole Beharie plays Kate
- Corey Stoll plays Peter
- Sunita Mani plays Danielle
- Shirley Rumierk plays Dr. Varona
- Sophia Kopera plays Ava Levy, the daughter of Mira and Jonathan
- Anna Rust plays Veronica
- Michael Aloni plays Poli
Plot summary
The five-part miniseries shows Mira, a tech executive, and Jonathan, a philosophy professor, as their marriage begins to have problems. After an interview about their relationship reveals issues they had not discussed, Mira admits she is unhappy and has fallen in love with someone else, leaving Jonathan and their young daughter. The story shows the couple’s difficult separation and divorce, with moments of kindness and affection that sometimes make them want to get back together.
Over time, both Mira and Jonathan begin new relationships. However, they continue to meet, sometimes for support and sometimes to deal with old problems, which tests whether their deep connection can last. In the end, after a secret meeting that briefly brings them closer, Mira and Jonathan accept that they will always care about each other but cannot be a couple. They find a way to stay calm and work together as parents.
Production
In July 2020, HBO approved the miniseries. Hagai Levi was chosen to write and direct, and Oscar Isaac and Michelle Williams were named executive producers. When the miniseries was approved, Isaac and Williams were also cast as main actors. In October, Williams had to leave her role because of a scheduling conflict but stayed as an executive producer. She was replaced by Jessica Chastain. In November 2020, Sunita Mani was cast in a supporting role. Nicole Beharie, Corey Stoll, and Tovah Feldshuh joined in supporting roles in January 2021.
Filming started in New York City in October 2020. In November, filming was paused for two weeks after two workers tested positive for COVID-19.
Release
The five-episode limited series had its first showing at the 78th Venice International Film Festival in the not competing category. It was first shown on HBO on September 12, 2021.
Reception
The review website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 81% approval rating with an average score of 7.50 out of 10, based on 48 critic reviews. The website’s critics agreed that while the show Scenes from a Marriage sometimes feels too simple to be interesting, the performances by Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac are strong and impressive to watch. Another review site, Metacritic, gave the series a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 24 critic reviews. This score shows that most critics had positive things to say about the series.