After the Wedding (2019) is a U.S. film written and directed by Bart Freundlich. This movie is a remake of a Danish movie that I reviewed in 2007. The Danish movie is better.
What surprised me about this film is that the protagonist is a woman, Isabel, portrayed by Michelle Williams. In the Danish film the protagonist was a man. The rich donor in the Danish film was a man, while in the U.S. film it was a woman, Theresa, played by Julianne Moore. Billy Crudup rounded out the cast as Oscar, Theresa's husband.
Abby Quinn plays Grace, the young daughter who is getting married. Yes--the main action does take place after the wedding.
Many reviewers--in publications and for IMDb--have found the movie inferior to the Danish film. I agree. The idea of having the main protagonist as a woman is interesting, but makes the plot more melodramatic than the original. On the other hand, the switch gives us a chance to see Michelle Williams at work, and I think she's wonderful.
Apparently, most people didn't accept the plot, because the IMDb rating for the film is a horrible 5.8. (The Danish version received a 7.9!) I think that this movie isn't as good as the Danish movie, but I think 5.8 is too low.
We saw After the Wedding at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre. It will work well enough on the small screen. If you think as highly as I do about Michelle Williams, find and see this film. If you're not a fan of hers, I still think the movie is worth seeing. Minority opinion.
