Marion Bridge (2002) User Reviews

Subtle, beautiful indie movie

[wisewebwoman · 8/10 · 23 May 2004]

A sign of a good movie? When you just don't want it to be over, you do not want to leave the characters.

This is such a movie, flawless performances by all, without exception. It draws you slowly into the secrets at its depth, without mawkishness or a hammering of two by fours. The relationship between the sisters feels real. No black and white, a lot of grey but underneath it all a terrible understanding, unspoken and fearful.

All unfolds as it should. I was pleased to see the writer was Daniel MacIvor who also wrote another subtle, gentle movie called "The Five Senses." You are uncertain where it is taking you for a while and then the devastating truth you begin to guess at unfolds.

The story is revealed more in looks and glances than in specific dialogue. More than anything it is a story about coming home and making peace with the devils you have tried to leave there but are haunting you everywhere anyway.

8 out of 10. It is a shame these movies do not get wider circulation. Bravo to all.

A must see for anyone who still cares about a good story ....

[marcalan-2 · 8/10 · 13 April 2003]

As someone who loves the theatre but is tired of seeing the same material recycled again and again, it is refreshing to know that independent film still exists. Marion Bridge is such a breathe of fresh air. Its the type of picture which reassures you that there are still filmmakers out there who care about the story they are telling rather than just looking for a vehicle to demonstrate the newest special effect.

This film was absolutely wonderful. The others who have commented here have already given a synopsis, so I won't go into those details. I simply wanted to add my name to those who have praised Wiebke von Carolsfeld's feature length directorial debut.

Ms. Carolsfeld has taken a powerful story written by Daniel Maclvor and transfered it to film in a fashion that will touch you on many levels. I assure you that you won't forget about this movie or its performers (Molly Parker, Rebecca Jenkins, Stacy Smith and Marguerite McNeil are all outstanding) anytime soon.

I will continue to look for future endeavors by all of the participants in this project. They have a new fan today; one who hopes that there is plenty more material to come.

Not a chick flick

[grant1971 · 8/10 · 5 April 2003]

This film is labeled as `Genre: Drama, Female'. It's NOT! When I think of female dramas or `chick flicks' I think of the typical "woman making it (or not) in man's world" (Steel Magnolias, Thelma and Louise) or sappy overly emotional Cinderella story (Never Been Kissed ands about a thousand others I can't think of now). This is not one of those. This is a drama. An excellent drama that, coincidently, has a primarily female cast.

I just saw "Marion Bridge" at the Arizona International Film Festival. What a great movie! Well balanced with characters you can feel. It is about siblings and the LOVE/hate relationships between. It's a strong truthful script without the over the top soapbox agenda so common to independent films. The cast draws you in completely. If you have a sibling, watch this movie. If not then. watch this movie!

Oh, and Molly Parker. Wow!

Good acting in a slow burn movie

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 20 February 2014]

Agnes (Molly Parker) has come home to Sydney, Nova Scotia to see her hospitalized mother (Marguerite McNeil). She moves in with her sisters Theresa (Rebecca Jenkins) and Louise (Stacy Smith) who are still living at home. She is 65 days sober, but their mother never quit. They move their mother home. The women grate on each other. Agnes starts to stalk Joanie (Ellen Page) who is connected to her past somehow.

The movie is a low-key affair. The energy, the direction is a slow burn. The great actresses hint at a deeper story, and it's revealed slowly. Molly Parker and Rebecca Jenkins are especially terrific as sisters with unresolved issues. Marguerite McNeil is memorable as the alcoholic mother. The family secrets rattle around their relationships unspoken and untouched. It's a fascinating little movie.

So subtle I'm still puzzled

[gnostic21 · 6/10 · 18 March 2009]

I rented the DVD of this movie because indie movies, and 'fringe of empire' movies (Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, sometimes British) are not corrupted by the demands of Hollywood blockbuster profitability. And because it had Molly Parker and early Ellen Page. The crucial element of this movie, that 'Agnes' had borne an illegitimate child due due to parental incest was so subtle that I had trouble understanding it - it passed by in a confession so low-keyed and fast that I'm not sure I heard it. It is mentioned only in coded fashion in IMDb reviews. I'm in the process of watching the director commentary, hoping that it will be revealed more openly. I don't understand why the secrecy, unless it has to do with the movie's potential for international distribution. Also the possible lesbian interest of one of the sisters. They give mystery to the plot that seem to be unnecessary, unless the religious component of the sister's lives is a defining element. Parental incest / lesbianism are NOT rare shocking phenomena. The movie was interesting as a historical artifact. Molly Parker and Ellen Page were great nevertheless.

Three Sisters in Nova Scotia

[dijl · 9/10 · 29 January 2003]

Marion Bridge was one of 14 films nominated for the Tiger Awards of the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2003 and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this film win. I have deep respect for the actresses who play the three sisters Agnes, Theresa and Louise, especially for Molly Parker (Agnes aka Angie). Mother is dying in the remote village in Nova Scotia where the sisters spent their youth. Agnes, who has an alcohol problem (inherited from her mother, as it seems), returns from Toronto just to find nothing has really changed. There is the usual bickering with her sisters, the woman next door is as nosy as ever and the people getting drunk in the local bar seem to have never left the building. A notion of suspense is triggered as Agnes repeatedly parks the family car in front of a souvenir shop. There she sits and watches the young girl Joanie who lives there. As the drama slowly develops questions are answered and new questions launched, even after the plot is unveiled. I won't give it away here, but I can assure it is quite shocking. The three sisters are very well cast as is their mother. The father who lives with another woman is an old sod who doesn't seem to remember (or care) what has happened in the past. Marion Bridge ends with an optimistic scene which is as moving as the film as a whole. A noteworthy achievement by young director Wiebke von Carolsfeld.

a rather mediocre "actorly" piece...

[vanessapeeters · 6/10 · 26 July 2003]

A rather mediocre "actorly" piece that essentially rolls over you like a Lifetime Network made-for-Cable movie. Nothing is glaringly awful, and yet there is a bland, precious quality about the work that suggests the undue influence of Chekhov, or a Candian-cum-Bergman homage.

If you liked "you can count on me"...

[scheesma · 10/10 · 17 May 2003]

Marion Bridge is a remarkable film. The movie's story elements would be at home in a typical movie of the week, and without the remarkable skill and restraint shown by its first-time director, the narrative could have very easily degenerated into weepy melodrama or gross caricature. But instead, the film's tone, pacing and subtle performances allow Marion Bridge to draw its strength from the real drama and humour found in everyday choices, characters and settings; as compromised and complex as life lived.

Also worth noting: the excellent sound track - especially the opening and closing instrumental pieces, and the surprising talents of Ellen Page.

Wonderful!

[HALIFA_le_X · 2/10 · 28 December 2002]

A true gem, this masterpiece by Viebke von Carolfield is a movie that the whole family can enjoy. It can be comedic and sad, dramatic and elegant. Ellen Page shines amidst a cast of experienced veterans such as Molly Parker, and Joseph Rutten is terrific in a minor role FIVE STARS!

Powerful Family Drama

[Chlotrudis · 10/10 · 27 September 2002]

Daniel McIvor (THE FIVE SENSES; BEEFCAKE) has written an extraordinary family drama involving three sisters trying to deal with their dying mother and the shared secrets of their past. Surely a recipe for mawkish, formula family drama, MARION BRIDGE succeeds wonderfully thanks to McIvor's sharp, funny screenplay, strong performances by Parker, Jenkins, Smith and youngster Ellen Page, and an assured directorial hand by first-timer von Carolsfeld. BRIDGE is filled with laugh-out-loud humor and powerful emotion as Parker's middle sister Agnes returns to her rural, Cape Breton hometown after living wild in Toronto. Her two sister Theresa and Louise view her return skeptically, but Agnes insists she's given up the booze and drugs she once played heavily with, and takes charge of their mother's care. Yet as in any family drama, those secrets preferred left undiscussed rear their ugly head. The sweeping Nova Scotia landscape echoes the arc of emotions of this troubled family dredged once more to the surface. A stand out film.

Marion Bridge on Reel 13

[eplromeo8 · 17 October 2008]

The Canadian invasion continues on Reel 13 with yet another Canuck indie. This one is written by the same writer (Daniel MacIvor) as the worst Reel 13 film of all – WILBY WONDERFUL. Fortunately for us, they got a different director for this film (Wiebke von Carolsfeld), but he (or she, I suppose) doesn't seem to help much. On the whole, the direction is overly theatrical and uninspired. Where WILBY WONDERFUL was contrived and had a silly sitcom vibe about it, MARION BRIDGE is bleak, melodramatic, mostly lifeless, painfully slow and very, very dull.

The story of MARION BRIDGE, as based on MacIvor's own play, is centered around three sisters (it is my feeling that the connection to Chekhov is no accident) who reunite over the impending death of their mother. Each sister has their own issue: one is a recovering drug/alcohol abuser, the other is an overly maternal, rigid middle-aged woman recently out of a long relationship and the third is a lazy, closeted lesbian. One thing I'll say for Marion Bridge is that its characters are all well-defined, but the actresses' interpretations of these characters have varied results.

I'm sorry to say that Rebecca Jenkins is back as the eldest, uptight sister. She proves that her annoyingness in WILBY WONDERFUL was not a fluke. She was grating then, she is grating here and at no point do I believe any emotion she is trying to portray. She is the perfect example of a surface actress – nothing going on underneath. She says the words, but does not play the role with her whole self. Molly Parker fares a little better with the recovering drug abuser sister. She is pretty and mostly likable, but she forces the character's weaker moments. And honestly, at no point do I really get a sense of the character's dark past nor do I ever believe that the character presented by Parker ever really did drugs and alcohol. Stacy Smith, with her limited screen time, actually gives the most complete performance of the sisters as the lazy lesbian. She's believable and interesting – it's almost sad that she is the forgotten sister by the playwright and director. It should come as no surprise, however, that the best performance in the whole film belongs to Ellen Page, in a supporting role, as a random girl that the sisters almost seem to stalk. For those of you who think Juno might have been an accident, MARION BRIDGE (and HARD CANDY) is here to tell you that she is the real deal.

MARION BRIDGE fails to capture the attention of the audience early on and never really finds any burst of energy after that. The pain within the film is real, but it fails to be very engaging or interesting (It doesn't help that the video transfer seemed faded – the color palette seemed very bleak and muted). Furthermore, the revelation of the film's very dark secret was extremely anti-climactic. It could have been a very interesting twist in the film (it was in CHINATOWN), but here, it's very ho-hum. The result is I didn't really care – about the characters or their predicament. With that said, however, there is a moment at the very end of the film where the title song finally comes in (apparently it's a famous Canadian tune) and the director offers us a nice surprise in a wide shot that actually brought tears even to these cold, unfeeling eyes. Sadly, one good moment does not a film make and MARION BRIDGE failed to take full advantage of its potential, which is always a shame.

Sad, so sad

[rugle1 · 1/10 · 31 October 2020]

What a depressing movie; an example of a sad existence.

This is a subtle and beautiful film. Molly Parker's breakthrough role as a lead actress.

[pogueelvis · 10/10 · 7 April 2003]

Everything about Marion Bridge is subtle and beautiful. The script is spot-on about three sisters and I found myself enjoying how well the ensemble cast worked together. Unlike hollywood films, where the theme is usually beaten over your head, the movie speaks volumes in its silences and expressions. Molly Parker also proves that she can be a strong leading actress. I am excited about seeing her again.

Thoughtful drama - with a kick like a mule.

[tigerfish50 · 9/10 · 10 December 2010]

'Marion Bridge' begins with 30-something Agnes waiting in a Nova Scotia airport bar for her sister Theresa's arrival on a flight from Toronto. After catching sight of a security guard, Agnes decides against lighting a cigarette. Later, after the two women greet each other with noticeable coolness, she declines to finish her drink, and comments tartly on the size of her sister's suitcase. Theresa makes a defensive response, and then laboriously hefts the oversize case through the airport instead of using its wheels.

This nuanced prologue telegraphs some prickly family dynamics, and sets the tone for the remainder of the film. On arrival at the family home, where a third sister also resides, the reason for Agnes' return soon becomes apparent: the siblings' mother is dying of cancer at the local hospital. As the story unfolds, family secrets are gradually illuminated by a smart, sensitive script which appears to have inspired exceptional performances from both cast and crew. The mystery of 'Marion Bridge' is revealed without theatrics, until it arrives at a final act which is as elegantly understated as the opening sequence - except that it has the effect of a punch to the gut.

Spectacular Film

[MurFilms · 8/10 · 11 April 2003]

I recently saw this film at it's premiere in Los Angeles. This was by far one of the best independent films that I have seen in a long time. The script was powerful and emotional without being too preachy. The acting was flawless including the performances by Molly Parker, Rebecca Jenkins and even the young Ellen Page.

The directing and cinematography was exceptional. This is a deep film involving the lives of 3 very interesting sisters and their bond that will never break. Go see this film!

What a stinker!

[steele-12 · 29 April 2003]

I went to this movie partly based upon the favourable reviews on the IMDB and partly on the fact that it was filmed in Nova Scotia. Shortly after the opening scenes I began to think I had made a bad choice. A number of times I was tempted to get up and leave (and I rarely walk out of a movie), but decided there must be something redeeming about it. The ending is poignant but did little to take away the bad taste that I had accumulated. It portrays Cape Breton as a gray and ugly landscape whose citizens are intent on achieving early death from lung cancer and emphysema. The music is good after a shaky beginning. However, the lovely song, "Down on the Mira" has now been tainted by association with this movie.

This film may best be characterized as GRUNGE and DOWNLIFTING pretending to be art. I would seriously question any film festival that would award prizes to this bit of misanthropy.

Pre-"Deadwood" Molly Parker and pre-"Juno" Ellen Page in a first-rate film from Canada

[The_late_Buddy_Ryan · 8/10 · 15 November 2014]

Excellent family drama from '02. Starts out like a typically rambling indie film but quickly becomes quite involving and suspenseful; I'm sorry that I found out a little too much about the plot beforehand from reading capsule reviews. Daniel MacIvor's script for "Wilby Wonderful" was overstuffed and chaotic, but here he gives you just enough information to get on with, so you're eager to sift for clues in the sometimes cryptic dialogue of the three main characters. "Marion Bridge" certainly deals with serious themes, but it's not at all gloomy or depressing. On the contrary, MacIvor shows his characters coming to terms with an unpunished crime that's been oppressing them for half their lives; comparisons with Mike Leigh's "Secrets & Lies," the highest praise IMHO, are certainly warranted. Molly Parker is a wonderfully expressive actress, and it's great to see her in a leading role. The Nova Scotia locale is pretty interesting in itself—the music, the accent, the landscape; seems a little like a maritime version of Appalachia. A lot of viewers will head for the exits when they hear words like "subtle," "naturalistic" and "prizewinning Canadian drama," but I know you're better than that... Available on disk from Netflix.