The Story Of Us

The Story of Us illustrates what happens when the fissure of minor differences in a marriage widens into a seemingly unbridgeable chasm. This film is insightful and intelligent, and it paints a convincing portrait of the disintegration of a family.
For about 90 minutes of the film, we are witnesses to the erosion of a marriage. Two people who were once happy are currently involved in a unpleasant relationship. Now, the only thing louder than their arguments is the silence between them when they’re not speaking. They still care for each other, but they are strangers, and only the presence of two children has kept them from calling it quits.
Undoubtedly, The Story of Us falls under the “chick flick” umbrella. It is manipulative, at least the manipulation is skillful, rather than sloppy and overwrought. For the most part, the characters are well developed and easy to sympathize with.
Most of all, I like the structure employed by the film. It ricochets back and forth between people, places, and time periods (via frequent flashbacks). Without slowing down the story, this approach allows us to get a good feeling for the various stages of their marriage. We see them “meet cute”, say their vows, raise their children, then drift apart. The Story of Us also has flaws, but its flaws are not seriously enough to curtail its ability to function as unpretentious entertainment.