A Good Marriage (2014)

After 25 years of a good marriage, what will Darcy do once she discovers her husband's sinister secret?

Director:

Peter Askin

Writer:

Stephen King (short story)

Stars:

Joan Allen, Anthony LaPaglia, Stephen Lang

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joan Allen	...	Darcy Anderson
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Bob Anderson
Stephen Lang	...	Holt Ramsey
Cara Buono	...	Betty Pike
Kristen Connolly	...	Petra Anderson
Mike O'Malley	...	Bill Gaines
Theo Stockman	...	Donnie Anderson
Will Rogers	...	Vince Dorne
Pun Bandhu	...	TV Anchor
Terra Mackintosh	...	News Reporter
Robert Hogan	...	Minister
Sean Dugan	...	Cleric
Danny Binstock	...	Bartender
Kris Lundberg	...	Stacey Moore
Susan Blommaert	...	Waitress

Storyline

After 25 years of a good marriage, what will Darcy do once she discovers her husband's sinister secret?

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | murder | wedding | serial killer | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/disturbing images, some sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stephen King's a Good Marriage

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Reno Productions, Goldcrest Features, Cinergy Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The novel was written based off the BTK serial killer (Dennis Rader) that occurred in Kansas from 1974 to 1991.

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Goofs

Around 59 minutes in, Bob is seen working under his truck, a 2000-2005 Chevrolet Blazer. The truck is suspended using a bumper jack, and Darcy contemplates releasing the jack to crush Bob (assumed).

The problem is the Chevrolet blazer used a bumper cover over a steel bumper, and did not have the slots necessary for a bumper jack. This model truck used a scissor jack to raise and lower the truck, and a bumper jack would not fit or lift the truck.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bob Anderson: [as narrator] I fled him down the nights and down the days. I fled him down the arches of the years. I fled him down the labyrinthine ways of my own mind. And in the mist of tears, I hid from him, and under running laughter.

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Connections

References The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

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Soundtracks

Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Written by Gus Kahn, Fabian Andre & Wilbur Schwandt
Performed by Jaymay

User Reviews

A Good Marriage

Even though author Stephen King's name is frequently used as a marketing tool, it might be damaging in the case of the film A Good Marriage, because the reference to the "Master of Horror" creates very different expectations to what this movie offers. To start with, A Good Marriage isn't a horror film, but a boring thriller lacking of energy, suspense or atmosphere, and with weak performances from Joan Allen and Anthony LaPaglia. The main problem of A Good Marriage is that it needed more... something. Whatever it could be. More atmosphere, more suspense, more twists. Anything to make it even remotely interesting. To be fair, I haven't read the short story on which A Good Marriage is based, so I can't determine whether the problem comes "of origin", or whether the film couldn't find the proper angle to adapt the story in a more attractive way. But, well... I used to be a fan of King's in previous decades, and I know that his prose is particularly difficult to be translated to cinema, because his characteristic literary "voice" is the first thing to be eliminated when writing a screenplay, something which leaves us with a distillation of characters and concepts which aren't always enough to support a film, unless the movie counts with the necessary ingredients (style, atmosphere, performances) to compensate those things which were lost during the transition. Unfortunately, A Good Marriage couldn't fulfill with those conditions, and I can't recommend it.