Not all relationships are built to last. People can also change over time and want and need different things than they did at first. If everyone involved pays attention and alters their behavior appropriately, everything should work out, but if the effort is only one-way, it may be doomed to fail. Millers in Marriage checks in with three adult siblings all going through rough patches and considering whether the marriages they’ve so long invested in are truly worth staying in and saving.

Eve (Gretchen Mol), Maggie (Julianna Marguiles), and Andy (Edward Burns) all live in New York City. Eve is once again worried about her alcoholic band manager husband Scott (Patrick Wilson), who disappears without contact for days and then comes back only to ask her what’s she cooking for dinner. Maggie is almost done writing her latest book, while her husband Nick (Campbell Scott) insists on moping around rather than trying to get to work on his own writing. Andy is now in a healthy relationship with Renee (Minnie Driver), but it’s clear that his ex, Tina (Morena Baccarin), isn’t ready to let him go even though she’s the one who initiated their breakup in the first place.

This film, which is written and directed by Burns, spotlights people of a certain age who are no longer communicating as well as they should be. The two sisters receive much-needed validation from unexpected sources, a journalist (Benjamin Bratt) who interviews Eve first about Scott and then about the music career she gave up to be with him, and a caretaker (Brian d’Arcy James) who describes himself as a fan of Maggie’s, expressing much more interest in and admiration for her work than her husband is ever able to muster. Andy’s situation is a little more complicated since he’s nowhere near as contemptible as his brothers-in-law, but he’s also not innocent when it comes to being honest and open with his new partner about his previous relationship. It doesn’t help that Andy and Renee only met because she used to be Tina’s boss.

Millers in Marriage, which overall is quite entertaining and leans into the comedy that comes from people in miserable situations, creates a cast of fully-fleshed out characters. While Eve and Maggie’s forbidden flings don’t get all that much screen time or backstory, everyone else is given ample depth and opportunity for exploration. Seeing these siblings mostly separately rather than together is also interesting since familiar patterns play out in how they interact. Scott and Nick both belittle their wives’ accomplishments to different degrees, not worrying about who might hear what they say, but they don’t respond in the same way, with Eve expressing subservient melancholy while Maggie hits back right away. These siblings would probably do better to actually talk to each other about what’s going on because they have plenty of useful insight and experience to share that they could use to apply to their own relationships.

There isn’t a weak link in this cast, which is led by the great trio of Mol, Margulies, and Burns. It’s particularly nice to see Mol get to play this part, bringing out the joy that Eve feels when she’s not around her husband and which is evoked by an endearing Bratt in their lively interactions. Margulies is passionate and well-paired with the dour Scott and sweet d’Arcy James. Burns finds himself a fitting role and Baccarin is all about causing chaos as Tina, but the true standout of the film is Driver, who plays Renee as levelheaded but also observant, paying much more attention to the way those around her interact than anyone else. Contrasted with her loud, hilariously aggressive turn in another film at TIFF this year, The Assessment, Renee is much more measured and, unlike everyone around her, actually has an idea of what she wants for herself. The ensemble enhances an enjoyable film that has its signature dramatic moments too, an engaging picture of life past the point many continue to wonder where happiness might still come someday.

Grade: B+

Check out more of Abe Friedtanzer’s articles.

Millers in Marriage makes its world premiere in the Special Presentations section at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.