A View From the Couch: Millers in Marriage Uncorks the Human in "Rich People Drinking Wine Problems"

Rating: 8/10

The Miller family - an artist (Andy), a writer (Maggie), and a restless housewife (Eve) navigate the quiet desperation that can seep into even the most gilded lives, reminding us all that even bubbly goes flat.

If ever there was a tale about “rich people drinking wine problems” Millers in Marriage would be it, but you shouldn’t write the movie off entirely over that.

In fact, potential frustration with the Millers in Marriage characters is precisely why you should consider watching this earnest portrayal of affluent angst.

Millers in Marriage poignantly reveals that rich people are still only human, remarkably aloof, but human nonetheless, and you would have to be pretty cold to overlook their struggles, however deeply annoying they might be.

Maggie (Julianna Margulies), the oldest of the Miller siblings, is an accomplished and highly successful writer, operating at the peak of her powers during the timeline for this film.

Beyond physical appearance, all the evidence in this film clearly suggests that Andy (Edward Burns) and Eve (Gretchen Mol) are the two younger siblings.

When we are introduced to Eve, in the opening salvo of this film, the first person she turns to in a moment of crisis - although I am being extremely loose with the term crisis here - is Maggie.

Similarly, when we first learn of Andy and his crumbling marriage, Maggie and her husband Nick (Campbell Scott) are the first two people he wants to introduce his new love interest Renee (Minnie Driver) to, presumably for a stamp of approval.

We are given an impression pretty early on that of the three, Maggie is the one who has her act together. She immediately comes across as the more grounded individual, perfectly content with the state of her marriage.

However, if you take a moment to breach the surface you will discover that there is actually a deep discontent about the state of her marriage, which is a source of tremendous frustration for the author of this review, because I can see no justifiable reason for her utterly ghastly treatment of Nick.

Andy, apparently the middle child, is an artist, although it is pretty difficult for a layman like myself to tell if he is any good, or if he was just one of those rich kids with access to opportunity and the right connections.

Nevertheless, he does at least cut the figure of a remarkably grounded individual, given the astonishing relationship dynamic that he finds himself in.

That said, I can at least understand how Andy is faced with the extraordinary reality presented to him in this film - and perhaps my being a timid man has something to do with that.

Andy finds himself in a period of transition, after his wife Tina (Morena Baccarin) opts out of the marriage, at which point it occurs to me that their decision to not have children was incredibly sound.

Being a timid fellow myself, I can see Andy’s attraction to Tina, who by all accounts is an awful woman who never received a stamp of approval from the other Miller siblings, and possibly even their parents (although we're now entering the realm of speculation).

Nevertheless, and this is probably a huge generalisation, timid men tend to be attracted to strong, assertive, and even “crazy” women.

Having traveled down that road myself, I can confirm this is a thing, even though I couldn’t possibly explain the science behind that.

Of all the characters in this film, Andy is the one I have the greatest empathy for, followed in close second by Nick, who is confronted by a similarity with Maggie - albeit at a much earlier stage of the fallout.

Not fully understanding how or when his marriage to Tina went wrong, Andy opts to move on with his life as briskly as he can by pursuing a relationship with Renee, a fashion executive who has actually worked with Tina before.

It is an absolute mess, but I suspect there is a method to that madness too. While this is pure speculation on my part, I suspect there is an element to this complex relationship dynamic that Andy subconsciously wants to sting Tina as much as possible, which is admittedly unfair to Renee.

Before moving onto the more carefree Eve, I just want to point out that the breathtaking Baccarin is at her most interesting in this film. Oh, we can only dream, can’t we?

Finally, there is Eve, who is the least risk averse of the Miller siblings, probably confirming that she is also the youngest.

Anybody who opts to marry into the music industry, might as well be walking a marital tightrope, where spouses are always on the road doing God knows what, with God knows who.

Eve also appears to be the most talented of the Miller siblings, and could quite easily have pursued a successful musical career of her own.

However, there is also a naivety about her that will frustrate the living daylights out of audiences, coupled with an unwillingness (perhaps even an inability) to face up to the consequences of choices that she has made.

While it is true that her husband Scott (Patrick Wilson) is an unpleasant human being, Eve must have known what she was committing to when she walked down the aisle.

Besides, there is an attraction between the two that actually makes tremendous sense when you consider it carefully. Some of the most robust relationships out there are actually the most stable. Strong characters like Eve and Scott feed off each other.

The way Eve goes on about Scott’s drinking would have audiences thinking that he actually beats her to pulp or something, when in fact all he really does is wake up five-foot deep in his own vomit sometimes.

It seems unfair to now pin her lack of fulfillment on a husband who has ultimately provided a genuinely exceptional life for Eve and their children.

But that is just the toxic man in me talking I suppose.

I have admittedly gone on somewhat of a tangent with this review, but what I am really driving at here is that for whatever reason, this is a movie that will have you emotionally invested for the duration of the running time, regardless of what you think about the narrative plot.

That is always the mark of a good film, held together by a highly competent cast which has the ability to draw those emotions out of you.

While I usually make a point of avoiding all critical commentary on a film before I watch it, I was pretty stunned to see Miller in Marriage receive such a low rating with the folks at Rotten Tomatoes.

Millers in Marriage is gripping, intense, and ultimately satisfactory.

This is a film I want to watch again, which is a considerable amount more than I can say for the majority of 2025’s releases.