By John Corrado
My Mother’s Wedding, which actually premiered at TIFF two years ago under the original title North Star, is the directorial debut of actress Kristin Scott Thomas, who also appears in the film as the titular mother getting married.
But this uneven comedy-drama mainly focuses on her character Diana Frost’s three adult daughters; Katherine (Scarlett Johansson), who is an officer in the Navy, Victoria (Sienna Miller), who is a famous movie star, and Georgina (Emily Beecham), who is a nurse with the NHS.
The three sisters all have their own baggage and relationship problems. Katherine has a girlfriend, Jack (Frieda Pinto), that she won’t fully commit to, and Georgina believes her husband (Joshua McGuire) is cheating on her.
Their secrets will all come tumbling out as they head to the English countryside for their mother’s marriage to one Geoffrey Loveglove (James Fleet). This is Diana’s third marriage, after being widowed twice, with both her late husbands having served in the Navy. The women reflect on these two father figures that they grew up with, while not so quietly questioning their mother’s decision to marry (and take the last name of) this somewhat boring older gentleman.
Thomas, who co-wrote the script with her husband John Micklethwait, based the story on her own mother and family history. The film is dedicated to her father and stepfather, who both served in the Royal Navy and died several years apart when she was a child. As such, the story does have some poignant themes about family legacy, and what’s in a last name.
The issue is that, at a scant 95 minutes, My Mother’s Wedding doesn’t really do enough with its many characters and story threads, and is left feeling messy and underdeveloped. A lot of the character work feels rushed, and there are some moments bizarrely played for comedy that don’t really land. The film can’t decide if it wants to be frothy, lighthearted rom-com or something more dramatic, and just as the story seems to be reaching a deeper place, it somewhat abruptly ends.
Perhaps fitting for the directorial debut of a seasoned actress, the film is really set up as a showcase for Johansson, Miller, and Beecham. The three actresses are all doing fine if unremarkable work, but the trouble is that their characters often don’t feel fully three-dimensional. Despite her credibility as an action star, Johansson’s character isn’t entirely believable as a Navy officer, and her British accent is somewhat spotty. Funnily enough, it’s actually Thomas who delivers the film’s best scene and monologue late in the game.
This isn’t the worst example of a seasoned actor making their behind the camera debut. The personal elements Thomas brings to the story do add some intrigue, and the use of brief, animated flashbacks to illustrate Katherine’s memories are a nice touch in an otherwise visually bland film. But it’s not the most memorable one, either. It doesn’t entirely work, and often feels too slight. Still, the talented cast ensures that My Mother’s Wedding is kept watchable enough, and it is occasionally enjoyable in fits and starts.
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