Adam Driver breaks out into song in Netflix’s Marriage Story, and his performance is devastatingly beautiful. The film, directed by Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale), is finding its way onto a number of best of the year lists due to its sharp, raw take on the struggles of marriage and divorce. Marriage Story follows the tragic journey that a married couple must face as their family is torn apart. Aside from Driver, the drama-comedy stars Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, and Merritt Wever.
At the center of Marriage Story is Charlie (Driver), a New York City theatre director, and Nicole (Johansson), an actress with dreams that go beyond the local theatre district. When the two find themselves living on opposite sides of the country, Charlie and Nicole decide on an amicable split, especially due to their young son Henry. When Nicole moves to Los Angeles for career and family reasons, she takes Henry with her, much to the dismay of Charlie. As time goes on, the simple split becomes more and more difficult as both sides are pushed to their emotional limits.
Baumbach’s film has a number of devastating scenes, but one of the most memorable features Driver’s character singing in a piano bar near the end of the movie. While venting about his divorce to his theatre company at an NYC piano bar, Charlie spontaneously goes to a mic and performs Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive,” a song from the 1970 musical, Company. Driver’s singing voice may come as a surprise to some viewers, but the actor has years of musical experience: not only did he grow up as part of a church choir, but Driver also spent years doing theatre. The Tony-nominated actor also presented his singing voice in Inside Llewyn Davis alongside his Star Wars co-star, Oscar Isaac.
The Significance of Adam Driver’s Song In Marriage Story
Charlie’s song choice was extremely meaningful to his own solo journey of acceptance as a divorced man. The musical Company focused on Robert, a man who had trouble with the thought of entering a serious relationship. While performing “Being Alive,” Robert presented his disdain for commitment, but by the end of the song, the perception changed as the bachelor seemed to long for something more in the realm of love. Rather than accept entering the great unknown of a new relationship like Robert, Charlie uses the song to embrace life post-divorce towards the end of Marriage Story. He becomes gradually more emotional during his rendition of Sondheim’s song as it serves as a cathartic avenue into healing his broken life.
Driver isn’t the only person in the film to perform a song written by Sondheim. Johansson, Hagerty, and Wever sing a snippet of Sondheim’s “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” during a family party in Marriage Story. Interestingly enough, Sondheim’s work has been the focus of several big movie moments in recent months. The lyricist’s song “Send in the Clowns” was used in Joker, and Daniel Craig sang “Losing My Mind” in Knives Out. It’s also important to note that Company is being revived for a Broadway production in 2020, and it seems like Driver’s performance in Marriage Story will positively affect the interest in the musical.
Next: REAL Marriage Story: How Much Of Netflix’s Movie Is True?
