Imagine being way past middle age and finding yourself ill at ease with your life choices. This is the situation Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) finds herself in as she travels to Stockholm with her husband, a man who’s due to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Featuring good performances by all involved, especially Close, I enjoyed this story and the way it handles regret. I particularly like how expertly Close portrays the complicated emotional journey of a woman in a specific predicament that is the kind of situation most modern independent women should hopefully no longer find themselves in. 

I’m quite certain that my favourite movie about regret will probably always be Magnolia (1999). Yet, The Wife too is memorable in the way it handles the subject. I felt bad for Joan, not so much because of the life she chose but because she let what seemed like other people’s negative experiences change the direction of her entire life. 

Another way to look at Joan’s story is to conclude that she fell in love, and that truth took priority over all else – including her own morality and the kind of treatment and respect a person really ought to demand in every situation.

More than anything, for me, The Wife is a reminder to think, think and think again before you sacrifice a key part of yourself for another – especially in the name of love.  The Wife is also just a well-acted movie you should see if the themes intrigue you enough. 

Lastly, fun fact! The actress who plays young Joan is actually Glenn Close’s real-life daughter, Annie Starke.

Happy Film Loving,

G