Maybe I Do

2 out of 5 stars

Stage productions have been the inspiration for a multitude of film screenplays throughout the years. Some have been translated successfully to the big screen, while many examples of plays should have remained in the theatre. As a writer and producer, Michael Jacobs has been a television, theatre, and film mainstay. Maybe I Do is his cinematic ode to marriage and the interpretation of his stage play, Cheaters.

This character play centres on the three relationships that are interconnected in unexpected ways. Sam (William H. Macy) and Grace (Diane Keaton) meet one another at a screening of a Swedish film and have an automatic connection. Despite being married to other people, the pair lose themselves in an energetic night together as they walk the city's back streets. In contrast, Howard (Richard Gere) and Monica (Susan Sarandon) have been having an affair for months, turning from passionate to troublesome. Especially as Howard feels the guilt of cheating on his wife, he must decide if he will leave this elicited affair. As these two couples determine their future, Michelle (Emma Roberts) and Allen (Luke Bracey) are the youngest pair of the three. They have been in a relationship for years, but they have come to a crossroads that will determine if they will spend their life together forever. It takes a tense night at a friend’s wedding that leads them to reach out to those they love most for advice.

This film presents two sides of a critical discussion of marriage. One side might be the easiest to unpack since it addresses the translation from stage to screen. Maybe I Do epitomises the struggle that comes from this transition. The dialogue and humour only hit their intended target when the setting is contained as if on the stage. Yet, this, unfortunately, only happens sporadically throughout the screenplay. Despite having a wealth of things to say and captialising on some of the greatest actors of their generation speaking them, much of the emotional connection fails to deliver. Gere, Keaton, Macy, and Sarandon do their best to give life to this script. Still, the structure of this unlikely setting collapses under the expectation of the subject matter.

Interestingly, the other side of the discussion presented by Michael Jacobs script does give enough life to this project. To think that it would come in light of two couples having adulterous relationships of the body and mind. The writer's argument for marriage gets taken through the paces and comes out with a surprisingly traditional view of the value of the union between men and women. These nuggets of truth make their way through many less-than-healthy viewpoints and are refreshing to see on screen, despite being contained in mediocre packaging. Maybe I Do may not set the world or relationships on fire. Still, it does open a contrary view of marriage that is not expressed in today’s modern context.

REEL DIALOGUE: What does the Bible really say about marriage?

Michael Jacobs’ stage production blasts open the discussion on marriage. Ultimately, his view on life and marriage was shown to merely be his opinion disguised as God's position.

Some may think that the Bible does not have the answers to this question of marriage. Thankfully God does not leave this question unanswered. The Bible directly answers the question of the value of marriage. Throughout the Bible, the answers are provided; even Jesus gives specific answers to people when asked.

“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” - Matthew 19:4-6

Marriage was God's idea and is a blessing to mankind. There is freedom within his paradigm, but God does have a paradigm. Anyone's opinion that differs from the Bible and/or Jesus' statement on marriage is merely their opinion. It puts them at odds with God's view on marriage. The Bible's answers are accessible to all for consideration, but the reader must choose what to believe.

If you would like to discuss the issues associated with marriage and the Bible. Reach out to us at Third Space. We would love to chat about this and more.