In ‘My Mother's Wedding,' three sisters confront the past

Boston Globe

4 days ago

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Katherine was 12 when her mother's second husband, John Monson, went missing in action in Bosnia and was presumed dead. Monson was the father of Diana's third daughter, Georgina (Emily Beecham).
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We see these two paternal figures in brief animated vignettes only, and in a cherished photo of the two men together in the Navy. But even in death, they maintain a powerful hold on their daughters. Women with 'Daddy Issues' are a common movie trope, but the script by Scott Thomas and John Micklethwait (
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Still, each daughter can trace some of her problems to losing a father. Katherine joined the Navy to honor hers, a man she clings to through distant childhood memories. Her last name is her only tie to this man, as her mother took Monson's last name when they married.
Freida Pinto and Scarlett Johansson in 'My Mother's Wedding.' (Vertical)
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Katherine also holds unexpressed guilt about a disagreement she had with her stepfather just before he disappeared. As a result, she throws herself into her military service while leaving her son, Marcus (Fflyn Edwards), in the care of her longtime companion, Jack (Freida Pinto). Jack wants to get married (her accepting mother makes a joke about how lesbians are just as commitment shy as a straight couple), but she's in love with a partner whose emotional distance may doom their relationship.
The thrice-married Victoria has built her acting career on an action movie franchise, 'The Dame of Darkness.' A running joke is that no one can remember how many of these movies she's made. Waiting for her at her mother's home is her childhood crush, who still seems sweet on her, and her current lover, a rich man she calls The Grand Fromage (Thibault de Montalembert). The Big Cheese is old enough to be her father — and he's married.
At first glance, Georgina appears to be the most traditional sibling. She got married early, and also has three daughters. However, her husband, Jeremy (Joshua McGuire) is a neglectful goofball who may be having an affair. He is definitely having a midlife crisis, as evidenced by his red convertible. Victoria hires a private eye on Georgina's behalf, an unwise decision since the kinky results of the investigation are delivered at the wedding reception.
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'My Mother's Wedding' neatly juxtaposes its subplots with the joyous event that serves as its centerpiece. The wedding allows Scott Thomas to bring in several minor characters for an effective moment or two. Victoria's teenage son, Skylar (Ziggy Gardner) has a memorable scene that highlights Geoff's love for his new family. Samson Kayo ('F1: The Movie') is fun as the private investigator who underscores his recordings of infidelity with songs like Salt 'n Pepa's 'Let's Talk About Sex.'
There's also an autobiographical thread running through this film that I'll leave you to discover.
Scarlett Johansson, Emily Beecham, and Sienna Miller in 'My Mother's Wedding.' (Vertical)
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The acting is uniformly good. Johansson captures how the loss of a beloved person can contribute to the fear of opening up and accepting love from others. Beecham brings a dark, angry humor to Georgina's situation. Miller has fun with Victoria's self-awareness regarding men. Fleet brings a quiet gravitas to his role as the latest groom. And Scott Thomas gets the film's best scene, a dressing down of her daughters that's full of common sense and confessions.
I wish I could say that the accents were also uniformly good. Though she tries her best to sound English, ScarJo just can't compete with a slew of actors wielding the genuine article. Thankfully, her performance is so good that the accent isn't too distracting.
Regardless, Scott Thomas gives Johansson the film's most jaw-dropping visual. As the camera moves away from Katherine, we see the entire HMS Prince of Wales. The vessel's enormity reduces Katherine to a mere dot on the screen. The scene is an impressive outlier in an otherwise intimately shot debut feature.
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★★★
MY MOTHER'S WEDDING
Directed by Kristin Scott Thomas. Written by Scott Thomas and John Micklethwait. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham, Scott Thomas, James Fleet, Freida Pinto, Fflyn Edwards, Thibault de Montalembert, Joshua McGuire, Ziggy Gardner, Samson Kayo. 95 minutes. At AMC Boston Common, suburbs. R (brief nudity, a sex scene played for laughs)
Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.