Back in the 1960s my aunt and uncle slept in separate beds so it seemed normal to me whenever I visited. Little did I know the underbelly unraveling of a marriage over the course of fifty years….The question is: Do people in contemporary society still sleep in separate beds or do they just sleep together, but alone? As in that’s your side, this is mine. That is the first thing that might come to mind when watching this tender American dram-edy of where the love goes in a long term marriage.
Tommy Lee Jones steps out of his tough-guy persona and into his husband curmudgeon shoes as Arnold, to his wife, Kay, played by Meryl Streep who is no longer “Julia Child” or “Iron Lady the Queen” but instead just Meryl. And that makes us happy. “Change is hard” is what their therapist, Steve Carrell, tells them in his very practiced and believable role as a marriage guru 1,500 miles away who takes them under his wing for a one week session in Maine. For the past four years life has been middle American boredom with the 11 p.m. hour dictating to turn the a.c. down, turn the T.V. off, see you in the morning. End of story. End of night.
But what makes this movie special is its simplicity. The two are authentic, earnest, sad, and free of any ironies that you
might assume exist in an “old person marriage.” And that’s the point….these problems get under the skin of a marriage even in your 40s if you’re not cautious.
The story slowly unravels bit by bit with each emotional and physical discovery of a romance gone sour. The characters, fumble, wish, charm, and somehow make us see that something as simple as a morning kiss, an arm slung over a loved one, or just a kind word or two make up appreciate our partner. But nothing matters most then that knowing, genuine stare of love. Unless you’re in
the audience, squirming in your seat, because at a certain age it might all become too familiar. Can this marriage be saved? I think so. Three tiaras