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On the Sunday of summer, we finally see the release of the Kristin Scott Thomas film, after nearly two years of waiting for a distributor to pick it up following its TIFF 2023 premiere. One might say the strike didn’t help its case. But what did help was having Scarlett Johansson front and center as the lead, Katherine Frost, finally giving the film a home. But does it land smoothly?
My Mothers Wedding review: A tender family dramedy lifted by Scarlett Johansson’s charm
Weddings are the perfect backdrop for family dysfunction to bubble to the surface. In this story, we see a rare gathering of sisters: Katherine (Scarlett Johansson), a Naval Officer; Victoria (Sienna Miller), a famous actress; and Georgina (Emily Beecham), a nurse, coming together for their mother’s third wedding. This marks the third time Kristin Scott Thomas has played Scarlett’s mother on screen (The Horse Whisperer and The Other Boleyn Girl being the others), and it does not disappoint. Loosely inspired by Kristin’s own life, the premise makes for a strong concept to share with audiences.
For the weekend, all three sisters are forced to grapple with their pasts and their losses. With the introduction of a new father figure, they are hesitant to welcome him into the family. The story centers around Katherine, who followed in the footsteps of her father, John Frost, by joining the Navy. She is committed to honoring him, but her guarded nature makes it hard to connect with her in the film’s 1 hour and 35 minutes runtime. After receiving a new commission to lead a ship, Katherine loses sight of what truly matters, her son and her partner.
Jack (Freida Pinto), both of whom she has drifted away from. She is forced to confront her past and her pain head-on after learning her partner is pregnant, a reveal I didn’t see coming.
At times, the script felt underdeveloped. While this is Kristin Scott Thomas’s directorial debut, and I can understand some of the shortcomings, it still left me wanting much more. If she directs again, I’d love to see a sequel.
The film’s concept has all the ingredients for a crowd-pleaser, but while there is some emotional build-up, it just wasn’t enough. The foundation was promising, but I wanted more exploration of Katherine and Jack’s relationship. We learn about Marcus (Katherine’s son), but I would have loved to see flashbacks, such as how Katherine and Jack met and how Katherine was as a mother before her time at sea. In a way, it made me wish for a prequel. The film left me with lingering questions: Why did Jack love her? Why didn’t they break up? Katherine was always away and seemed to treat Jack like a glorified babysitter.
I was particularly thrown when Jack decided to get pregnant without consulting Katherine. While I understand this was meant to provoke a reaction, especially after sending Katherine an ultimatum letter, we never get to see—the lack of on-screen context was frustrating. We never truly see what led to this moment, or Katherine essentially abandoning her son. This wasn’t enough to make me dislike the character, but it did leave me wanting more, specifically a sequel that shows Katherine and Jack rebuilding their relationship and moving forward.
I found myself wishing for a two-hour-plus runtime and a script with more fully developed characters. The story might have benefited from stretching the wedding over a week, allowing more space for meaningful conversations and emotional build-up. The lack of deep emotional exchanges was frustrating, but not enough to make me walk away.
In the end, the family gathers once more, this time at their fathers’ graves. Their mother urges them to let go of their childhood and move forward. As they part ways, they meet one last time at Katherine’s ship to see her off. Here, we finally get a more heartfelt conversation between Katherine and Jack, as Katherine realizes what she has and what she doesn’t want to lose. The camera lingers on Katherine before slowly panning away.
While each sister must confront her pain, the film also reveals hidden cameras, a man who was there all along, and, most importantly, a sisterly bond that remains strong. Throughout, the movie gave me Nancy Meyers vibes: the warm cinematography, the comforting score. However, it ultimately left me wanting more. It didn’t quite deliver an emotional gut punch, but it didn’t fall flat either. Honestly, this would have been a perfect Mother’s Day weekend release. So here’s my plea to Kristin: give us a sequel focused on Katherine and Jack, with more in-depth conversations, and lean even further into the family dramedy.
Grade: B-
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My Mother's Wedding
Three sisters return to their home for the third wedding of their twice-widowed mother. But the mother and daughters are forced to revisit the past and confront the future, with help from a colorful group of unexpected wedding guests.
Release Date: August 8, 2025
Director: Kristin Scott Thomas
Cast: Scarlett Johansson , Sienna Miller , Emily Beecham
