Noah Baumbach’s drama masterpiece Marriage Story has been continually praised for its originality in screenplay and direction since its release on Netflix. The storyline centers on Charlie and Nicole, a troubled married couple going through divorce. The two characters are portrayed by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, who were both able to channel their own experiences with divorce onto the screen. This made the film a personal project for the actors as well as the filmmakers, earning Laura Dern an Academy Award for her stunning portrayal of lawyer Nora Fanshaw.

Marriage Story is loved for its ability to simultaneously capture the complexity embedded within human relationships and inject humor into even the most emotionally-charged scenes. These narrative qualities have established Baumbach as one of many directors to look out for in the near future. Here, we take a look at 15 behind the scenes facts about the Oscar-nominated film you might not have known about.

15 It Was Loosely Based On A True Story

According to Cosmopolitan, Noah Baumbach based the script on his parents’ divorce as well as on his own divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. The character of Charlie, a reserved theatre director, closely resembles Baumbach while Nicole is supposed to represent Leigh. Leigh has since watched the film and expressed her liking for it.

14 The ‘Being Alive’ Performance Was Shot In One Take

The restaurant scene where Charlie spontaneously stands up and delivers a performance of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Being Alive’ from the 1970 Broadway musical Company was shot in one take. The song was also recorded live by the studio, a seeming testament to Adam Driver’s professional acting skills and ability to perform under pressure.

13 Nora Fanshaw Was Based On A Real Celebrity Attorney

The sharp and business-savvy character of Nora Fanshaw was loosely based on Laura Wasser, an L.A. celebrity attorney. Wasser represented Noah Baumbach, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern during each of their divorces, rendering Marriage Story a personal story for the cast and crew. Some of the scenes were also filmed in Wasser’s real office.

12 Almost Everything In The Film Was Scripted

Due to Baumbach’s meticulous directorial style, barely anything shown in the film was improvised. Everything down to moments of hesitation, awkward pauses, and overlapping dialogue were included in the script. This was particularly true for the fight scene in Charlie’s apartment where Baumbach made sure every single detail was crafted to perfection.

11 It Made Netflix History With The Longest Theatrical Release

According to Useless Daily, Marriage Story made Netflix history by being awarded the longest theatrical release of 30 days. It was also the first film distributed primarily through a streaming service to win an Oscar in an acting category. This reveals the centrality of online streaming sites to our future consumption of Academy Award winning films and films in general.

Related: Ranking The 20 Best Netflix Original Movies Of All Time

10 It Was Adam Driver’s Idea For His Character To Be A Theatre Director

Adam Driver had a big role in the construction of his character, working alongside Baumbach by providing input about Charlie’s personality and career. In fact, it was Driver’s idea for Charlie to be a theatre director, a choice which heightened the tension between him and Nicole as they navigate the difficulties of being both husband and wife, director and actor.

9 It Includes A Sneaky "Star Wars” Reference In The Form Of Toys

During the opening montage, Henry and Nicole are seen playing with figurines and toys inside their house and around their backyard. Many of these toys are actually Star Wars characters, a playful reference to Adam Driver and his role in the new Star Wars franchise as dark warrior Kylo Ren.

8 The Actors Did 50 Takes Of The Famous Fight Scene

The intensity of the fight scene in Charlie’s apartment may have been due to the hard work carried out by the actors behind the scenes. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson actually shot the scene 50 times to make sure every line was delivered on par with the emotion that they each wanted to convey.

7 Greta Gerwig Cried When She Saw The Opening Montage

Actress and director Greta Gerwig cried when she first saw her long-time partner Noah Baumbach’s film. She was so moved by the opening montage that she sent Baumbach a picture of her crying in the cutting room. Another reason for Gerwig’s emotional response might’ve been due to how closely the storyline reflected Baumbach’s real life experience.

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6 Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, & Laura Dern Were Cast Before The Script Was Complete

According to IMDb, Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern were cast by the producers even before Baumbach finished writing the script. This reveals how perfect each actor and actress were for their respective roles, and how immediate the chemistry was between them. The cast also helped to collaborate with Baumbach on developing numerous character aspects.

5 Noah Baumbach Gave Separate Notes To Different Actors

In order to stimulate authentic reactions for the fight scene, Baumbach took Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver aside separately to give directorial notes. This caused both of them to give off different reactions every time they did a new take, and provided Baumbach with an array of diversified performances to choose from.

4 Adam Driver Punched The Wall Of The Apartment 15 Times

During the fight scene, Adam Driver was instructed to punch through the wall of Charlie’s apartment as hard as he could. He ended up doing 15 takes of the punch, one of them delivered with so much force and aggression that he almost broke through the wall behind the breakaway wall.

Related: 20 Revealing Facts About Star Wars' Adam Driver

3 The Production Design Was Based On The Theme Of Theatre

The production design and architecture of the film was based on theatre models. This can be seen through the proscenium arch in Charlie and Nicole’s apartment and the way the actors move in and out of rooms, echoing the fluid movements of actors in plays. The central theme of theatre also manages to amplify the dramatic quality of the narrative.

2 Noah Baumbach Conducted Research With Real Divorce Lawyers

Baumbach took his research to the field by consulting real life practising divorce lawyers. This allowed him to replicate the divorce process between Charlie and Nicole convincingly onscreen and pick up ideas for the sort of character ammunition and defence that the lawyers would use in real cases. This bit of research was also crucial for the development of Nora Fanshaw’s dialogue throughout the film.

Noah Baumbach, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern have all been through first-hand experiences of divorce, and Adam Driver is a child of divorced parents. In addition to this uncanny fact, Baumbach also met with Johansson to persuade her to join the film during the period where she was going through her second divorce.

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