I watched that trailer and…something's in the water. It's August, the TV hits reruns, and here comes My Mother's Wedding—a grown‑up family dramedy that's more than another rom‑com masquerading as one. Trailer opens with that pointed line: “What has happened to our mother? Why on earth would she choose him?” And suddenly, you're right there, at that dinner table, feeling the prick of awkward.
Heartstrings & History
Kristin Scott Thomas—yes, the face we've known for decades—makes her feature directorial debut, based on a script she co‑wrote with John Micklethwait. The first whisper of this film, then called North Star, came at TIFF in September 2023. Critics dubbed it “heartfelt and funny,” but also noted uneven pacing. It then fell silent—no wide release, no fanfare, nothing.
Trailer Vibes
The new trailer? Tender, yet sharp. Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller and Emily Beecham play sisters Katherine, Victoria and Georgina—returning for their twice‑widowed mother Diana's third wedding. The words “revisit the past and confront the future” mean more than open‑room banter; weight lurks behind each embrace. A colorful cameo‑capable wedding ensemble adds levity—droll, odd, maybe surprising.
Death, Memory & Animation
There's talk of animated flashbacks—echoing grief through stylized visuals—much like memory in This Is Where I Leave You. Scott Thomas apparently mined personal history as a jumping‑off point—a detail TIFF spotlighted.
What's At Stake?
You can feel the shift in tone. It's not just “third wedding” trope; it's a reckoning with what's been lost, what remains. And given its lukewarm ~28% RT score from Toronto? That trailer needs to do heavy lifting—and it kinda does.
Release Plans
Mark your calendar: the film (now titled My Mother's Wedding) opens theatrically in select U.S. cinemas on August 8, 2025. Exactly two months from now. The debut—via Vertical—could re‑ignite interest beyond the TIFF whispers.
So…is this trailer delivering on a late‑summer family film that feels different? I'm leaning yes. It's not perfect—tone treads that thin line between cliché and heartfelt—but something about watching those sisters circle their mother, half‑smiling, half‑guarded, feels real. And isn't that what we want at 40‑plus? Stories that don't treat grief and new beginnings like separate channels, but mess them together, messy and human?
