From Life to Screen: Kristin Scott Thomas’s Debut Film Explores Family and Love
Tensions and tenderness in new British film My Mother’s Wedding.
Kristin Scott Thomas brings her own life story to the big screen as she takes on the roles of director, writer, producer, and star in her new film My Mother’s Wedding. The film is set to be released in cinemas on 8 August, following its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was initially titled North Star.
The movie features the British actress, now 65, portraying a character based on her own mother. The cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, and Emily Beecham as her daughters. As shown in the trailer, their family reunion revolves around the third wedding of Thomas’s character, Diana, who has been twice-widowed after losing her previous husbands.
The official synopsis states:
“Over the weekend, the family gathers to celebrate the new marriage, but mother and daughters alike are forced to revisit the past and confront the future — all with help from a colourful group of unexpected wedding guests.”
In the trailer, Diana declares:
“I brought you up to be women, not just daughters,” before criticising her daughters for finding her fiancé “dull”. She insists: “He is the man I love. He makes me happy. Which, when you all eventually grow up, you will learn is the most important thing,” she adds.
Drawing from her own family history—having lost her father at five and a stepfather at twelve, both Royal Navy pilots who died in service—Thomas co-wrote the screenplay with her husband John Micklethwait. Her debut as a director reflects these personal experiences.
In My Mother’s Wedding, Sienna Miller plays Victoria, a famous actress; Emily Beecham portrays Georgina, a palliative nurse; and Scarlett Johansson stars as Katherine, a Royal Navy captain. Freida Pinto is also among the cast.
As seen in the trailer, tensions run high in the English countryside as Diana’s daughters prepare for her third wedding. Diana can be heard shouting:
“This is my wedding — pull yourselves together!”
Thomas recently revealed she married Micklethwait last November. She shares three children with her former husband François Olivennes. Among her upcoming projects is Women in the Castle, a post-World War II drama co-starring Daisy Ridley.
My Mother’s Wedding, produced by Vertical Films, will be released in theatres on 8 August.
