Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
To the Wonder
To the Wonder is a 2012 American experimental romantic drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem. Filmed in Oklahoma and Paris, the semi-autobiographical film chronicles a couple who, after falling in love in Paris, struggle to keep their relationship from falling apart after moving to the United States. The film premiered in competition at the 2012 Venice Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion Award. It received mixed reactions at its premiere in Venice but was awarded the SIGNIS Award at the same festival. The film continued to polarize critics upon its theatrical release, with many praising Malick's direction and Lubezki's cinematography, though finding the narrative emotionally unsatisfying.
Neil is an American traveling in Europe who in Paris meets and falls in love with Marina, a Ukrainian divorcée living with her ten-year-old daughter Tatiana. Basking in their new romance, the lovers travel to Mont St. Michel, the island abbey off the coast of Normandy. Neil commits to Marina, inviting her to relocate with Tatiana to his native Oklahoma. Neil takes a job as an environmental inspector, and Marina settles into her life in the United States. After some time, the couple's passionate romance cools. Marina finds solace with the Catholic priest Father Quintana, who is undergoing his own crisis of faith. Tatiana begins to feel homesick due to not having made friends at her school and complains that Neil is not her real father. Sometime later, Marina tells Neil that her visa has expired, and she and her daughter return to France.
Continuing his work as an environmental inspector, Neil reconnects with Jane, a childhood friend. Jane tells Neil very quietly that her farm is going bankrupt because her former husband encumbered it with his huge gambling debt. Neil begins a romance with Jane. Back in France, after giving Tatiana back to her father (Marina's former husband), Marina finds she misses Oklahoma and is unable to find a job. Due to Neil's unwillingness to commit to Jane, their relationship disintegrates.
Returning to Oklahoma, Marina reconnects with Neil. The couple marry in a civil ceremony for Marina to be allowed to permanently stay. After going to the doctor to discuss removing an intrauterine device to be able to conceive, Marina begins to feel isolated again. Although they also had a religious wedding ceremony, the couple's relationship begins to deteriorate over frequent arguments. Meanwhile, Father Quintana ministers to prisoners and local people. One day, Marina approaches Charlie, a carpenter who had given her a wind harp. She follows him to a motel where the two have a tryst. While in a drive-through at a fast food restaurant, Marina confesses the event to Neil and asks his forgiveness. In anger, Neil pulls over and leaves Marina stranded by the road. Shortly after, Neil returns to pick her up.
Neil later seeks counseling from Father Quintana. Marina appears to have borne a child since her encounter with Charlie but there is ambiguity about the identity of its father. Neil accompanies the priest as he ministers to the poor, learning forgiveness and humility. Eventually offering Marina forgiveness, Neil kneels before her and kisses her hands. Neil and Marina appear to divorce, and they are last seen together as he leaves her at an airport. Marina tells him, "I want to keep your name".
The film's closing moments depict Father Quintana tending to the aged, the poor, and the imprisoned with a voice-over from the priest reciting a prayer that includes elements of the breastplate of St. Patrick ("Christ with me. Christ before me. Christ behind me...") as well as parts of a meditation by John Henry Newman. A few years later, Neil is seen with what looks like his family. Marina is shown walking in a rain-drenched, pastoral setting. In a state of ecstatic discovery, she turns to see a brilliant, golden light pass over her face. "The Wonder" – Mont Saint-Michel – remains rooted to the earth with its spire piercing the heavens.
When announced in February 2010, the film was set to co-star Christian Bale. Bale ultimately dropped out of the production and was replaced by Ben Affleck; Rachel McAdams also joined the cast.
As with its predecessor, The Tree of Life, and its successor, Knight of Cups, the film's conception and plot stem from autobiographical elements: Terrence Malick met his second wife Michèle Morette in Paris in the early 1980s, and the couple lived in Oklahoma for a period prior to their separation.
Hub AI
To the Wonder AI simulator
(@To the Wonder_simulator)
To the Wonder
To the Wonder is a 2012 American experimental romantic drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem. Filmed in Oklahoma and Paris, the semi-autobiographical film chronicles a couple who, after falling in love in Paris, struggle to keep their relationship from falling apart after moving to the United States. The film premiered in competition at the 2012 Venice Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion Award. It received mixed reactions at its premiere in Venice but was awarded the SIGNIS Award at the same festival. The film continued to polarize critics upon its theatrical release, with many praising Malick's direction and Lubezki's cinematography, though finding the narrative emotionally unsatisfying.
Neil is an American traveling in Europe who in Paris meets and falls in love with Marina, a Ukrainian divorcée living with her ten-year-old daughter Tatiana. Basking in their new romance, the lovers travel to Mont St. Michel, the island abbey off the coast of Normandy. Neil commits to Marina, inviting her to relocate with Tatiana to his native Oklahoma. Neil takes a job as an environmental inspector, and Marina settles into her life in the United States. After some time, the couple's passionate romance cools. Marina finds solace with the Catholic priest Father Quintana, who is undergoing his own crisis of faith. Tatiana begins to feel homesick due to not having made friends at her school and complains that Neil is not her real father. Sometime later, Marina tells Neil that her visa has expired, and she and her daughter return to France.
Continuing his work as an environmental inspector, Neil reconnects with Jane, a childhood friend. Jane tells Neil very quietly that her farm is going bankrupt because her former husband encumbered it with his huge gambling debt. Neil begins a romance with Jane. Back in France, after giving Tatiana back to her father (Marina's former husband), Marina finds she misses Oklahoma and is unable to find a job. Due to Neil's unwillingness to commit to Jane, their relationship disintegrates.
Returning to Oklahoma, Marina reconnects with Neil. The couple marry in a civil ceremony for Marina to be allowed to permanently stay. After going to the doctor to discuss removing an intrauterine device to be able to conceive, Marina begins to feel isolated again. Although they also had a religious wedding ceremony, the couple's relationship begins to deteriorate over frequent arguments. Meanwhile, Father Quintana ministers to prisoners and local people. One day, Marina approaches Charlie, a carpenter who had given her a wind harp. She follows him to a motel where the two have a tryst. While in a drive-through at a fast food restaurant, Marina confesses the event to Neil and asks his forgiveness. In anger, Neil pulls over and leaves Marina stranded by the road. Shortly after, Neil returns to pick her up.
Neil later seeks counseling from Father Quintana. Marina appears to have borne a child since her encounter with Charlie but there is ambiguity about the identity of its father. Neil accompanies the priest as he ministers to the poor, learning forgiveness and humility. Eventually offering Marina forgiveness, Neil kneels before her and kisses her hands. Neil and Marina appear to divorce, and they are last seen together as he leaves her at an airport. Marina tells him, "I want to keep your name".
The film's closing moments depict Father Quintana tending to the aged, the poor, and the imprisoned with a voice-over from the priest reciting a prayer that includes elements of the breastplate of St. Patrick ("Christ with me. Christ before me. Christ behind me...") as well as parts of a meditation by John Henry Newman. A few years later, Neil is seen with what looks like his family. Marina is shown walking in a rain-drenched, pastoral setting. In a state of ecstatic discovery, she turns to see a brilliant, golden light pass over her face. "The Wonder" – Mont Saint-Michel – remains rooted to the earth with its spire piercing the heavens.
When announced in February 2010, the film was set to co-star Christian Bale. Bale ultimately dropped out of the production and was replaced by Ben Affleck; Rachel McAdams also joined the cast.
As with its predecessor, The Tree of Life, and its successor, Knight of Cups, the film's conception and plot stem from autobiographical elements: Terrence Malick met his second wife Michèle Morette in Paris in the early 1980s, and the couple lived in Oklahoma for a period prior to their separation.