Margot at the Wedding (2007)

Director:

Noah Baumbach

Writer (WGA):

Noah Baumbach (written by)

Release Date:

21 February 2008 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

One family. Infinite degrees of separation.

Plot:

Margot and her son Claude decide to visit her sister Pauline after she announces that she is getting married to less-than-impressive Malcolm. In short order, the storm the sisters create leaves behind a a mess of thrashed relationships and exposed family secrets.

Plot Keywords:

Secret | Family Secret | Jealousy | Tree | Neighbor

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Zane Pais	...	Claude
Susan Blackwell	...	Woman on Train
Nicole Kidman	...	Margot
Jack Black	...	Malcolm
Flora Cross	...	Ingrid
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Pauline
Seth Barrish	...	Toby
Matthew Arkin	...	Alan
Brian Kelley	...	Bruce
Christian Hansen	...	Fireman
Michael Cullen	...	Mr. Vogler
Enid Graham	...	Mrs. Vogler
Sophie Nyweide	...	Vogler Daughter
Justin Roth	...	Vogler Son
Ciarán Hinds	...	Dick Koosman
Halley Feiffer	...	Maisy Koosman
Jonathan Schwartz	...	Malcolm's Friend
John Turturro	...	Jim
Lisa Emery	...	Woman with Dog
Michael Medeiros	...	Karaoke Singer
Ashlie Atkinson	...	Becky
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alexander Emmet	...	Hot Guy / Bar Couple (uncredited)
Chuck Gerena	...	Man in Bar / Street (uncredited)
Tyler Kelley	...	Orphanage Kid #2 (uncredited)

Directed by
Noah Baumbach

Writing credits (WGA)
Noah Baumbach		(written by)

Produced by
Blair Breard	....	co-producer (as M. Blair Breard)
Scott Rudin	....	producer

Cinematography by
Harris Savides

Film Editing by
Carol Littleton

Casting by
Douglas Aibel

Production Design by
Anne Ross

Art Direction by
Adam Stockhausen

Set Decoration by
Debra Schutt

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Michal Bigger	....	makeup department head
Lori Guidroz	....	hair department head
Wayne Herndon	....	hair stylist: Ms. Kidman
Angela Levin	....	makeup artist: Ms. Kidman
Roz Music	....	hair stylist: Mr. Black
Roz Music	....	makeup artist: Mr. Black
Patricia Regan	....	assistant makeup artist
Kerry Warn	....	hair designer: Ms. Kidman

Production Management
David Bausch	....	production supervisor
Blair Breard	....	unit production manager (as M. Blair Breard)
Sarah Connors	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Camp III	....	first assistant director
Michael T. Meador	....	second assistant director
Kenyon Noble	....	second second assistant director
Andrea O'Connor	....	second second assistant director
Jono Oliver	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Robert Barnett	....	on-set painter (as Bob Barnett)
Stephen Barth	....	scenic
Peter Bundrick	....	chief carpenter
Philip Canfield	....	leadperson
Pat Cocuzzo	....	construction grip
Abe Costanza	....	shop scenic
Ruth Deleon	....	on-set dresser (as Ruth Ann DeLeon)
Katy Dilkes	....	scenic (as Kathleen B. Dilkes)
Maus Drechsler	....	property assistant (as Ana Katharina Drechsler)
Kristin Emery	....	scenic (as Kristen Emery)
Chris Ferraro	....	set dresser
Nir Gaon	....	scenic
Gilbert Gertsen	....	greens (as Gilbert H. Gertsen)
Gordon Gertsen	....	greens (as Gordon H. Gertsen)
Jonathan Graham	....	chief construction grip
Chris Heaps	....	set dresser (as Christopher Heaps)
Richard Hebrank	....	construction coordinator (as Rich Hebrank)
Ricky Hoppe	....	set dresser (as Rick Hoppe)
Caroline Irons	....	scenic
Michael Jortner	....	assistant property master
Lisa Kennedy	....	scenic foreman
Martin Lasowitz	....	property master
Phillis Lehmer	....	graphic design
Nili Lerner	....	scenic foreperson
Peter Levitsky	....	greens
Elizabeth Linn	....	charge scenic
Francesca Mirabella	....	art department assistant
Laura Nemesi	....	art department assistant
Jennifer Alex Nickason	....	assistant set decorator (as Jenny Alex Nickason)
Lynn Nickels	....	scenic
Steven Purtee	....	scenic
Richard Rose	....	chief construction grip (as Richard C. Rose)
Will Scheck	....	chief greens
Philip Winn	....	art department coordinator
Marian Ziola-Stoeffelmeier	....	scenic
Robert A. Morris	....	photo-graphics (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Chefalas	....	first assistant sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (as Marko Costanzo)
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gerald Donlan	....	adr editor
Tom Fleischman	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Jeanne Gilliland	....	sound utility
Lawrence Herman	....	sound re-recordist (as Larry Herman)
Ruth Hernandez	....	adr editor
Drew Kunin	....	sound mixer
Craig Kyllonen	....	ADR recordist
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
Paloma Mele	....	apprentice sound editor
Douglas Murray	....	adr mixer (as Doug Murray)
Jac Rubenstein	....	dialogue editor (as Jack Rubenstein)
Paul Sacco	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Kira Smith	....	boom operator
Wyatt Sprague	....	sound effects editor
Paul Urmson	....	sound designer
Paul Urmson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steven Visscher	....	supervising foley editor (as Steve Visscher)
Debby VanPoucke	....	post sound coordinator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Phillip Beck	....	special effects technician
Lorenzo Hall	....	special effects technician (as Lorenzo T. Hall)
Steven Kirshoff	....	special effects coordinator (as Steve Kirshoff)
Frank C. Oliva Sr.	....	special effects foreman (as Frank Oliva)
Angel Torres	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Randall Balsmeyer	....	visual effects supervisor: Big Film Design (as Randy Balsmeyer)
J. John Corbett	....	visual effects artist: Big Film Design
Chris Halstead	....	visual effects artist: Big Film Design
Tyra Hanshaw	....	visual effects producer: Big Film Design

Stunts
Stephen A. Pope	....	stunt coordinator (as Stephen Pope)
Jodi Michelle Pynn	....	stunt double: Nicole Kidman
Shawnna Thibodeau	....	stunt double: Nicole Kidman
Scott Burik	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Jeffrey Lee Gibson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Pete Klein	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Trampas Thompson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Rico Omega Alston	....	video assist (as Rico Aston)
Christopher Blauvelt	....	first assistant camera
Ronald Burke	....	dolly grip (as Ronald J. Burke)
David M. Carr	....	second company grip
Daniel Feighery	....	second assistant camera
Kevin Flynn	....	first company grip (as Kevin W. Flynn)
Tim Flynn	....	grip (as Timothy Flynn)
Gary Hildebrand	....	electrician
Lukasz Jogalla	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Jeremy Knaster	....	assistant chief lighting technician
John Krause	....	grip
Christopher Moeller	....	film loader (as Christopher A. Moeller)
William D. Moran	....	grip (as William Moran)
Bill O'Leary	....	chief lighting technician
Michael Papadapolous	....	electrician (as Michael Papadopoulos)
Kabkeo Phothivongsa	....	electrician
Michael P. Prisco Jr.	....	electrician
Michael P. Prisco Jr.	....	gaffer: second unit
Ken Regan	....	still photographer
Ryan Rodriguez	....	electrician (as Ryan A. Rodriguez)
Peter Russell	....	electrician
Darrin Smith	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Bob Van Heek	....	grip (as Bob A. Van Heek)
John Velez	....	chief lighting technician
Franz Yeich	....	grip
Eugene C. DePasquale	....	grip (uncredited)
Petr Hlinomaz	....	camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited)
David Knox	....	underwater director of photography (uncredited)
David Landau	....	additional electrician (uncredited)
David Landau	....	electrician: night sequences (uncredited)
Lou Massa	....	grip (uncredited)
Greg McMahon	....	film loader (uncredited)
Lisa Origlieri	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jon W. Rosenbloom	....	additional grip (uncredited)
Darrin Smith	....	best boy rigging gaffer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Deborah Maxwell Dion	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles
Ronen Gevint	....	background casting
Stephanie Holbrook	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nicole Greenbaum	....	on-set costumer
Emily Gunshor	....	costume coordinator
Iris Horta Lemos	....	costumer: Ms. Kidman (as Iris Lemos)
Donna Maloney	....	costume supervisor (as Donna M. Maloney)
Michelle Matland	....	assistant costume designer
Jonathan Schwartz	....	costume assistant
Danielle Cadorette	....	wardrobe tailor (uncredited)
B. Reeves	....	costume production assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Ernest Leif Boyd	....	assistant editor
Lynn Cassaniti	....	additional assistant editor
Jessica Green	....	post-production assistant
Marty Levenstein	....	first assistant editor (as Martin Levenstein)
Beth Moran	....	additional assistant editor
Mary Nelson-Duerrstein	....	negative cutter (as Mary Nelson-Fraser)
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer (as Steve Sheridan)
Joe Violante	....	dailies advisor (as Joey Violante)

Music Department
Nancy Allen	....	music editor
Linda Cohen	....	music executive
George Drakoulias	....	music supervisor
Britta Phillips	....	music consultant
Dean Wareham	....	music consultant
Julie Sessing	....	music clearance (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ernie Acquavella	....	driver (as Ernie Acquevilla)
Thomas Aquino	....	driver
William Baker	....	driver
Patrick Bentz	....	driver (as Patrick J. Bentz)
Edward J. Buzzo	....	driver
Mike Canales	....	driver (as Mike Canale)
John Canavan	....	transportation co-captain
David Chacon	....	driver
James Charleston	....	driver
Charles Fay	....	driver
Joseph Fay	....	driver
Kevin Griffin	....	driver
Dimitri Jacotin	....	driver
Adrian Keenan	....	driver
John Lalor	....	driver
Jesse Lello	....	driver
Mark Edward May	....	driver
Eugene O'Neill	....	transportation captain (as Gene O'Neill)
Joseph Paprota	....	driver
Wesley Petersen	....	driver (as Wes Petersen)

Other crew
Keith Adams	....	location manager (as Keith A. Adams)
Barbara Austin	....	dog trainer
Mary Bailey	....	script supervisor
Hernando Bansuelo	....	office production assistant
Kathy Bernard	....	stand-in
Pamela Bertini	....	assistant production coordinator
Kate Bogle	....	set production assistant
Chris Cloud	....	department assistant
Leslie Collins	....	medic
Santos Cornier	....	department assistant
Kate Dalton	....	stand-in
Derek Frampton Davis	....	department assistant
Eric Dean	....	production secretary
Kelly Meyer Douglas	....	department assistant
Erica Francis	....	department assistant
C.J. Gardella	....	assistant: Mr. Baumbach
Shellie Gillespie	....	payroll accountant
Tracy Gossett	....	department assistant
Nancy Grigor	....	location scout
Judy Heinzen	....	assistant: Ms. Kidman
Elizabeth Himelstein	....	dialect coach: Ms. Kidman (as Elizabeth Himelstein-Reynolds)
Sean Hogan	....	production accountant
Nathan Kelly	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Jessie Kilguss	....	assistant: Mr. Baumbach
Serena Kuo	....	department assistant
Francisco Marcial	....	parking coordinator
Albert Massiah	....	set production assistant
Meg Mathisen	....	publicity manager
Nina Maxwell	....	film runner
Adam Milch	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Luie Morales	....	department assistant
Steve Moramarco	....	assistant: Mr. Black
Kat Murello	....	stand-in
Frank Murray	....	first assistant accountant
Eric Myers	....	unit publicist
Gemma O'Neill	....	assistant: Ms. Kidman
Wayne Petrucelli	....	security: Ms. Kidman
Vince Piotti	....	office production assistant (as Vincent Piotti)
Daniel Pollack	....	location scout
Oak Porcelli	....	set production assistant
Beth Powder	....	assistant clearance coordinator
James P. Queen	....	executive assistant: Mr. Rubin
Nora Resnick	....	set production assistant
Danny Roman	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Mark Rothman	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Kara Ryan	....	set production assistant
Michelle Sarama	....	post-production accountant
Aidan Shah	....	accounting clerk
Leanne Shapton	....	title designer
Susan Silas	....	location scout
Susan Soh	....	assistant: Ms. Leigh
Anita Sum	....	production coordinator
David Velasco	....	assistant location manager
Nils Widboom	....	location scout
Mark A. Wills	....	set production assistant
Craig T. Wood	....	production secretary
Michele Baker	....	location scout (uncredited)
Justin Begnaud	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin (uncredited)
Daniel Cabeza	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin (uncredited)
Lauren E. Enfield	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)
Tena Golding	....	additional production secretary: New York (uncredited)
Audra Gorman	....	location scout (uncredited)
Matthew Honovic	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin (uncredited)
Aaron Hurvitz	....	location scout (uncredited)
Jule Ann Jappe	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Christopher Menges	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Noel Davis Poyner	....	publicity intern (uncredited)
Nicole Real	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Heli Soell	....	assistant post-production accountant (uncredited)
Eugene Stamos	....	craft service assistant (uncredited)
Denise Violante	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Alexander Zweig	....	assistant to Mr. Rudin (uncredited)

Thanks
Barbara Turner	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Scott Rudin Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Vantage (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Sky Cinema (2010) (Germany) (TV)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Argentina) (all media)

Special Effects

• Big Film Design (visual effects)

Other Companies

• ARRI  cameras
• C5  post-production sound facility
• Clearance Domain  clearance
• Creative Mega Playground  dailies telecine
• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Dawn Animal Agency  dogs provided by
• Duclos Lenses  opticals
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Mega Playground  video dailies
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals (as Pacific Title and Art Studio)
• Sound One Corporation  mixing stage
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility
• Soundtrack  sound re-recording facility
• Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting
• Technicolor  dailies (as Technicolor New York)
• Thomson Brothers  craft service
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting
• Tribe Road Catering  catering

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and language

Runtime:

93 min | USA:91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:14A | Ireland:16 | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-13 | Sweden:7 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

City Island, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Scott Rudin Productions

Trivia:

The cinematographer, Harris Savides, used old lenses and shot mostly in natural light to get the dim, ominous look of the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Nicole Kidman's hair color repeatedly switches back and forth between dark brown and lighter reddish-brown.

Quotes:

Margot:He's doing the interview with me in town on Friday. Did I tell you he and I are collaborating on a screenplay? An adaptation of one of Dick's novels.
Pauline:No. I didn't even know you knew he was up here.
Malcolm:[while drawing with Claude and Ingrid] Is he even a good writer? Why do people care about him?
Pauline:You're competitive with everyone. It doesn't even matter if they do the same thing as you. He's competitive with Bono.
Malcolm:It's true. I don't subscribe to the credo that there's enough room for everyone to be successful. I think there are only a few spots available, and people like Dick Koosman and Bono are taking them up.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Barely Legal All Stars 1 (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Easy to Be Around

The Margot Show

What does it say about your wedding when your estranged sister's attendance is a bigger event than the wedding itself? I mean, it's right there in the title of Noah Baumbach's dysfunctional family disaster movie. It isn't called "The Wedding" or "Malcolm and Pauline Get Married". No, it's called MARGOT AT THE WEDDING. If your sister at your wedding causes that big a stir, perhaps the invitation would have been better lost in the mail. Still, despite her better judgment and in the interest of progress and healing, Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) does invite the sister she still refers to as her closest friend after years of not speaking, to her intimate affair. It is clear her idea was not her best from the moment Margot (Nicole Kidman) steps off the boat and on to the New England shore. Pauline sends her fiancé, Malcolm (Jack Black), to pick Margot and her eldest son, Claude (Zane), up from the ferry. She claims to be making last minute arrangements back at the house but I suspect it was she and not the house who was not quite ready to receive. Then, when the two are finally face to face, standing in front of the house they grew up in, they smile and make pleasantries but fidget hesitatingly before actually embracing. That awkward moment grows into a whirlwind of deep-seeded pain before long and suddenly rain on the blessed day is hardly the biggest worry for the bride-to-be.

Baumbach scored last time out with his Oscar-nominated THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. He was lauded for his sensitive and honest tale of divorce and how it affects the entire family unit. With MARGOT AT THE WEDDING, he solidifies his reputation for creating believable family ties based on dependence, dysfunction and subtle admiration. Watching the sisters as they sit around the house catching up is voyeuristic as we are often privy to conversations that feel as though they were not meant to be heard. As the sisters flip through old records in their even older house, Baumbach writes decades of experiences into his characters and we, like Malcolm, are latecomers to this dinner party. Director of photography, Harris, draws us even closer to this inner circle by shooting mostly hand-held footage in natural lighting and with older lenses. The resulting tone is dark and grainy but nostalgic and rich with history at the same time. At times, we are the quiet cousin who says nothing but stands in the corner with a camera and follows the drama from room to room. It isn't long before we learn how to interpret the vernacular of this particular family and we find ourselves laughing along inappropriately at the expense of whomever Margot is lovingly ridiculing at the moment. As we laugh though, we care as well.

Kidman and Leigh (Baumbach's wife) are both marvelous as they walk the very tightly wound lines of their borderline personalities. Baumbach guides their performances into textured characters that seem natural as sisters and strongly rooted as multifaceted people who struggle to be themselves when in the presence of the other. They even possess archetypal qualities without coming across as contrived. Margot is the master of deflection. She is constantly doling out psychological diagnoses to those around her to avoid any fingers pointing back her way. It never dawns on her that as a writer, she actually has no formal foundation to base her opinions on. She cannot understand why Pauline would settle for Malcolm; she picks at Claude to keep him closer; she even attacks her husband (John Turturro) for his good nature because it just makes her feel like a bad person. She is a fatalist to Pauline's hopeful but defeated optimist. Pauline is damaged but wants to heal and has done so much more than she gives herself credit for. She teeters back and forth between making sneaky, subtle jabs at her sister, habits from her youth, and building new connections so that she can have the sister she always wanted instead of the one she has always had. Only, in the house that Baumbach built, the answer to whether people can ever truly change is not the least bit clear.

Family, even the best examples, can be tricky to negotiate. Spending any extended period of time with the people who both influenced you and hurt you the most in your life can be exhausting. That said, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING can be no less trying. There are those who revel in watching others with deeper dysfunction then their own. It helps them to feel that their lives are not nearly as bad as they thought. There are also others who feel they have enough to juggle already with potentially damaging weddings of their own to survive coming up fast. Why then immerse yourself in a tornado of neuroses and painful memories that are not even your own? Truthfully, you don't have to. Along those lines, Pauline never needed to invite her sister to her wedding either. Only if she hadn't, she would have missed out on everything the experience taught her about herself and the potential for progress. This is the genuine beauty of Baumbach's work. He shares so intensely and personally that he inevitably forces the viewer to deal with their own inner-Margot.