Marriage Story Script PDF Download — Plot, Dialogue, & Themes

The script is very heavy on dialogue (more on that later), and that also helps us understand the characters, their lives, how they work, and what they’re about. Early on, after we learn that the two of them work in theatre and see them at a work dinner/party, we have a scene where Charlie characteristically wants to provide Nicole with some notes about her recent performance.

We can see how the full scene translates in the finished film. It allows us to see and feel the tension between the two, along with how it ultimately affects Nicole when she goes to bed alone.

Like in any good script, the characters in Marriage Story are shown not just through dialogue but actions. Even among dialogue, we can see how emotions and feelings creep in, influencing what they say and how they might be perceived. These moments can even clue us into a character’s state of mind at any given time, such as when Nicole first meets with Nora and spills out how she really felt being married to Charlie. This scene also gives us a chance to see just how different Nora and Nicole are.

And later, when Charlie is trying to look good for the family/child evaluator, he absentmindedly tries to show her a trick with his knife that he always performed for Henry.

However, because of a combination of stress, circumstances, and trying to keep up appearances, Charlie cuts his arm on accident.

We can see how it’s perfectly executed in the final film, showing off the awkwardness of the situation, along with Charlie’s utter exhaustion. In many ways, this accident serves as a culmination of how everything that’s been happening in the film gets to Charlie. (Warning: scene is not for the squamish.)

In a script made up of moments and dialogue, these are just select moments that demonstrate who these main characters are and the people they interact with during an uncomfortable and heartbreaking time.

Marriage Story Script Takeaway #2

Marriage Story’s Dialogue

The only thing more noteworthy and upfront than Marriage Story’s main characters is its dialogue. As one might assume from Baumbach’s previous work, there is plenty of dialogue in Marriage Story, all charged by the unique characters who deliver it.

There are no wasted moments in Marriage Story, even when it’s Nicole in the middle of a screen test. It’s a particular scene featuring multiple off-screen voices while still being focused on Nicole.

On top of being amusing dialogue, it clues into the different mindset of LA culture and people, what they think of Nicole, and how she handles it.

Sometimes the dialogue is a bit more complex, with more than one thing going on at a time. This can be seen when Charlie is first speaking with Nora over the phone while also dealing with play rehearsals.

Beyond being amusing and serious all at once, we get to see how stressful this is for Charlie and contrast it with how it’s going for Nicole with Nora.

Other times, dialogue is straightforward and direct, which is no more clearer than in Marriage Story’s fight scene between Charlie and Nicole.

The intensity of emotion is displayed perfectly on the page, which is only superseded by the scene itself. It speaks for itself, but you can see how the actors were able to take the ferocity of what’s on the page and turn it into a heart wrenching battle of emotions.

Just like with characters, there’s no shortage of excellent dialogue in Marriage Story, but we can only cover so much of it here (especially when almost the entire screenplay is made up of excellent dialogue).

Marriage Story Script Takeaway #3

Marriage Story’s Themes

The characters and dialogue are almost immediate in Marriage Story, and they help flesh out the other most important and prominent takeaway: the movie’s themes. The main theme, of course, is about marriage (or rather, divorce), and with that comes emotional pain, frustrations, tears, and acceptance.

We can see the movie’s main theme quite early, after we the audience (but not the characters) hear what Charlie and Nicole have written about one another. We saw a script excerpt earlier and below is a breakdown of that opening sequence by none other than Baumbach himself.

We can also see how the divorce looks for Nicole’s mom Sandra, who is still close to Charlie and would rather they not get divorced.

As for Charlie, we have various moments that show how the divorce proceedings are affecting him. Aside from having to find the right lawyer for the job, he also has to contend with the fact that his son prefers to live in LA.

The enormity of the situation between Charlie and Nicole is exemplified when Charlie comes over to Nicole’s new place to fix her gate. Even though they have a nice enough time, eventually Charlie leaves with Henry back to his place, with the large gate separating the former husband and wife.

The finished product very visibly makes this clear, with Charlie and Nicole physically and literally setting a barrier between themselves.

And when the divorce proceedings are finally ending, Nicole doesn’t feel as triumphant about it as Nora does. It’s a moment that underscores that neither Charlie nor Nicole wanted it to come to this. Even when it's finally coming to an end, the feeling is less celebratory than it is bittersweet, if not purely bitter.

This is further underscored in the penultimate scene, where Charlie and Henry read Nicole’s letter about Charlie, which works as a sort of “full circle” moment.

If you’re in the mood to see Adam Driver cry one last time, see the finished product in the clip below, which includes the final scene before the credits roll.

Even with terrific characters and dialogue, it’s all in service of the themes of Marriage Story, which come out wonderfully in the screenplay and on screen.