Tayarisha Poe’s The Young Wife is a sweet, whimsical, retro-futuristic narrative film about one woman’s life. Set in the near future, it follows a day in the life of the soon-to-be Celestina as she reflects on her hopes, regrets, and privilege. It explores the anxieties of young adulthood who can no longer afford to dream in an increasingly inhospitable world—where dreams feel like a luxury. Starring Kiersey Clemons in the title role, it features an impeccable cast of Leon Bridges, Kelly Marie Tran, Michaela Watkins, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judith Light Aya Cash, Sandy Honig, Brandon Micheal Hall, and Lukita Maxwell.
Spoilers follow.
The Young Wife (2023) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:
Written and directed by Tayarisha Poe, The Young Wife centers on Celestina, a young woman about to get married who, surrounded by her friends and family, tries to figure out her place in the world.
What happens in ‘The Young Woman’?
‘The Young Wife’ follows a day in the life of Celestina (Kiersey Clemons), who is about to marry the love of her life, River (Leon Bridges). The story takes place in the near future, when people need oxygen sources to help with their breathing problems. The world is becoming increasingly difficult to survive with unpredictable weather conditions such as floods and storms. Despite these external problems, Celestina is more concerned about losing her hopes and dreams. So she quits her soul-destroying job the day before her wedding to River. Unhappy with the soulless pursuit of money, she makes this possibly impulsive decision.
Regardless, she must continue to greet her friends and family members, even if she doesn’t like them all. The guests include River’s sisters, Fern (Lukita Maxwell), Rose (Aya Cash) and Daisy (Sandy Honig) in addition to his mom, Lara (Michaela Watkins) and his grandmother, Cookie (Judith Light). In addition to them, Celestina invites her friends, Geoffrey (Connor Paolo), Ayman (Brandon Micheal Hall), Sabrina (Aida Osman) & Tessa (Kelly Marie Tran) and her mom, Angelique (Sheryl Lee Ralph). In addition, Dave (Jon Rdunitsky), her co-worker, is a surprise self-invited guest. She despises him.
Celestina’s marriage
Celestina tells Cookie how her father found the land of the house where she now lives. She explains how her parents were codependent, despite not being an ideal couple. Cookie continues to smoke during their conversation, despite her breathing problems. Eventually, Celestina’s friends and River’s family arrive and discuss Celestina’s sudden decision to get married. They talk about marriage as an institution and reflect on her choice to change her last name. As she complies with all of their requests and questions, Celestina looks utterly exhausted. Still, she finds moments of respite with Cookie, who acts as a vehicle for her fears about the changing world.
The worries after marriage
On the day of her wedding, Celestina is stressed about some of her worries. In addition to the doubts about her marriage, she is also worried about her life after marriage. Sabrina believes that Celestina quit her job without thinking about an alternative source of income. She points out that River also has no source of income. He jumped from one creative interest to another without committing to anything. Despite his stunted development, Celestina did not want to live her life working tirelessly without any joy or fulfillment. So she decided to quit.
Sabrina has a job she doesn’t like, but it pays her enough to survive—and to pursue her creative fantasies without worrying about cashing in. So Celestina wonders if she takes her privileges for granted. After all, not everyone can just quit their job without actively thinking about their future. Celestina’s ex-colleague, Dave, is shamelessly profiting without doing anything substantial as a consultant. It irritates her. On the other hand, Celestina’s mother doesn’t like the fact that she’s living the life of a simple housewife after her good education. She thinks Celestina is giving up her ambitions for her love.
Celestina’s mental chaos
A still from The Young Wife (2023)
Throughout Celestina’s wedding day, one or the other pushes her buttons. They share their opinions on her life decisions and judge her without understanding her perspective. So Celestina grows tired of being just an object for them to think about or criticize. She worries if she is making the biggest mistake of her life. In the midst of all this, Cookie offers her the mental strength to get through the ordeal. She answers Celestina’s questions with openness and wisdom.
The Ending of The Young Wife (2023) Movie Explained:
Does Celestina find peace at the end of the day?
On the day of her wedding, Celestina struggles with her concerns about love and commitment. Her friends and family make her wonder about the feasibility and morality of her decisions. Sabrina points out that they are not in their teens or early twenties to make such rash decisions. So Celestina feels guilty about her privilege. Ayman makes her wonder if she is only at her peak in college. Then her mother makes her worry if she is wasting her life and following the conventional steps of womanhood. She does not marry River to become a housewife. But is that all she will ultimately be?
Is there anything else to her identity? And is she worthless without a purpose? Will marriage irreparably sever her old ties? How can she make up for her regrets and neglect of others? She can’t stop thinking about these worries. In the chaos, Cookie feels like the only calming force. Even if her bond with River reflects a sense of peace, marriage has its own complications. Moreover, she hasn’t discussed her decision to leave her job at River. Unfortunately, despite their disagreement, “The Young Wife” ends on a sweet note with the couple sharing a passionate kiss. But it offers no concrete answer about the future of their marriage.
The Young Wife (2023) Movie Review:
“The Young Wife” is a hyper-stylized depiction of the anxieties of a young woman who decides to marry her lover. Only the day before her wedding, she left her job without worrying about the practicalities of her decision. So, throughout her wedding day, she ponders her choices and how they align with her position in the world as she talks to her guests. Their conversations about jobs and careers are neither new nor original, as they largely replicate the endless social media discourse about capitalism among younger generations.
The script is far more compelling, however, when it explores Celestina’s turmoil as a woman. Even through her last-minute nerves, the script offers a visceral depiction of familiar struggles. It highlights her anxieties about the agency of her life and the roles she must play and rebel against. Alongside her, Judith Light’s character is equally intriguing for her rejection of conventional aging tropes. She refuses to live as a representation of impending death for the younger generation. But Light never lets her seem banal.
The style of ‘The Young Wife’
‘The Young Wife’ presents a peculiar aesthetic that initially feels arty and aimless. However, the chosen combination of shapes, colors and patterns offers a feverish dreamlike experience and fits the emotional canvas of the film. The costumes have a distinctly retro feel, full of vibrant, popping colors. So, amidst that, Celestina’s lighter sweatshirt makes her stand out and reflects her gloom over her worries. The eerie tour into Celestina’s mind feels quite similar to Danielle’s in Emma Seligman’s ‘Shiva Baby.’
It’s similarly cluttered, with a heightened sense of chaos. But unlike Seligman’s film, the performances in “The Young Wife” feel deliberately over-experimented (and rarely restrained) to showcase Celestina’s chaotic mental state. Overall, the style dictates the communication in the minimal script. While the performances of Judith Light, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Michaela Watkins stand out from the ensemble, Kiersey Clemons’ performance is the main driving force for a character who soaks up every emotion around her like a sponge. She makes you root for Celestina, despite the film’s relatively sparse thematic exploration.
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