Noah Baumbach Breaks Down 'Marriage Story's' Fight Scene Between Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson

Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story" has been a critical hit and scored six Oscar nominations, but one intense fight scene has stuck out in particular. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson play a couple in the middle of brutal divorce battle, and everything comes to a head in one climactic argument in the end. They throw harsh words at each other, and Driver throws a fist through the wall.

Baumbach revisits the Los Angeles apartment in which the pivotal scene takes place. Here, he breaks down choosing the right furniture for the bland apartment, blocking the scene and keeping the couple's son present during the fight through the use of a symbolic juice box.

[planetcam]

imagine having to tell someone that adam driver punched a hole in their wall

[jademontana.]

the fact that even the juice box has a meaning and that it actually makes sense.

[vanoshanramdhani]

I like how the movie didn't take sides or portrayed one character as more right than the other, they both had flaws in this marriage and we see that played out throughout the film

[jaytiwari]

“Henry is a juice box.”
-Noah Baumbach

[jooniebear]

This scene was so thought out yet so hard to watch for me because it felt like I was seeing something that I wasn't supposed to or like I was intruding. I got so lost in the characters that I forgot I was watching a movie and suddenly I was watching a couple fighting. Really good acting and directing.

[julianatalksfilms]

Insightful to hear about his process. That apartment is the saddest, most generic space in the whole movie. So perfect for the story.

[OMGmynameisLILI]

*"We can still celebrate the thing for What it was, even if its over"*


Bruh. I felt that

[MiraNemcik]

"endings don't have to be failings. we can still celebrate the thing even when it's over"
this really came through in the movie, such a subtle emotion and yet I think they portrayed it beautifully

[rowni]

With Adam's height, that apartment feels so tight and claustrophobic

[daniela-qvsx]

how did he not get an oscar nomination for best director? he’s so particular about every detail that went into this film and i’m so amazed at how he executed every detail so well.

[stoptimestudio]

Directors like this guy are the reason I love movies.

[puppeiluv]

“I can’t believe. I have to know you. FOREVER!!” Just is an insanely genius and relatable and heartbreaking line

[harleyshanks]

Adam Driver’s acting in this scene blew me away. I didn’t start crying until he broke down. He started crying and I started crying, pretty much at the same time. Intense, incredible work.

[spacetoastjam]

Spoiler : I love how both Charlie and Nicole aren’t innocent in this movie, however one thing that I love is that both characters seem to betray their traits that were set up in the first 10 min of the movie, Nicole is introduced as someone more reactive with their emotions, unorganised and who has no difficulty with having tough conversations yet later she gets organised finding a lawyer, is unwilling to talk to Charlie and resolve their differences to move forward as a couple since the most heart breaking part of this movie is that they still love each other yet neither one says it. Charlie is set up as someone who is the opposite of Nicole he’s organised, neat, brings order to the family and is in control of his emotions for the most part. However through out the divorce we see him fall victim to his emotions when he argues with Nicole, failing to take care of his son when he visits by being late, forcing fun and generally being disorganised not only with his son but also his theatre company which inevitably gets shut down. This is the most obvious with the “ knife” scene when Charlie attempts his knife trick something he’s done a thousand times yet he fails and almost ends up passing out due to him paying more attention to his divorce than the actual task at hand. This obviously something done on Noah’s part and it’s pretty neat so i thank him for thinking about character development in such depth as it’s resulted in a great movie that I hope connects with a lot of people out there.

[devonsmith]

Embarrassing that he got snubbed almost everywhere for his direction

[daliacortes]

When she kept calling him sweetheart... i understood it wasnt the lack of love that led to the divorce. It was everything else

[christianpinglo]

Variety: "So Henry isn't in this scene?"


Noah: "Well no, but yes."


Lmao. Great scene.

[yzabeIa]

Marriage Story is so good I watched it three times in four days. And now I'm thinking of watching it again. And again.

[johngalactus]

That fight scene was so amazing... I rarely watch these type of 'marriage/relationship' films but "Marriage Story" was exceptionally good. And Adam Driver, wow... just wow.

[recklesslyrandom]

Not gonna lie, i am not observant enough to pick up on the soul of the boy in the juice box