From my first experience with her work in Mission: Impossible to her delightful appearance in Fleabag, Kristin Scott Thomas has always impressed with her range in front of the camera. When My Mother’s Wedding first started moving forward, I was not only intrigued to see what she would bring behind the camera, but also her third reunion with Scarlett Johansson.

Co-written by Thomas and her husband, Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, My Mother’s Wedding is a semi-autobiographical look at the Oscar nominee’s life, in which she and her three siblings lost both their father and stepfather in separate flying accidents while serving in the Royal Navy. The movie sees three sisters coming together for their mother’s third wedding and confronting how far their lives have drifted from each other.

Led by Johansson, Horizon: An American Saga‘s Sienna Miller and 1899‘s Emily Beecham, My Mother’s Wedding is very much a well-meaning celebration of Thomas’ own family. It has a unique directorial trick for its flashback sequences. But even while it’s a generally charming time with great performances, the film feels a little too incomplete.

My Mother’s Wedding Is Both Overstuffed & Underdeveloped

Dysfunctional family stories are certainly great territory for filmmakers making their debut, as it gives them the chance to showcase their approach to a familiar genre and balance a full roster of characters. When My Mother’s Wedding begins, Thomas interestingly introduces her characters and their troubled relationships, while also setting up their arcs.

However, once we get to the remote English country home of Thomas’ Diana, the balance of the three sisters’ lives is entirely shifted to Beecham’s Georgina, a timid nurse who suspects her husband is cheating on her. With the help of Miller’s Victoria, a movie star who yearns for something more, and to the chagrin of Johansson’s Katherine, a Royal Navy pilot who’s become too distant from her family, a private detective is hired and answers are received.

The problem is Georgina’s arc, along with the trio’s adjustment to their mother getting married a third time, takes up so much of the movie’s 95-minute runtime that Victoria and Katherine’s arcs are rushed when they finally get their due.

Katherine also questions her mom taking her fiancée’s last name, still having not moved on from the deaths of her father or stepfather, and a rich older mogul tries to get Victoria to be his mistress. For a movie as short as this one is, the script could’ve used some тιԍнтening to make its moments of conflict less forced.

All that aside, there is a laid-back charm to My Mother’s Wedding that makes some of its storytelling problems forgivable. The dysfunctional comedy of the sisters feels authentic and leads to some solid chuckles, while secret revelations and familial bonding moments do pack some decent emotional punches.

Thomas’ Direction Is Mostly Straightforward, Apart From One Neat Trick

Having worked with everyone from Mike Newell to Brian De Palma, Thomas has certainly experienced a wide range of approaches to directing. With My Mother’s Wedding, she brings a pretty natural look to the film. Feeling a lot in the way of Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, Thomas lets her gorgeous locations and actors’ performances stand on their own.

The most welcome choice she makes is the depiction of Katherine’s flashbacks of her father and stepfather, which are done through charcoal-like animations. The drawings are gorgeous and full of heart, even as characters remain faceless. It offers a rich alternate palette for the film’s spectrum.

My Mother’s Wedding’s Cast Is Wonderful

Though One Choice Left Me Undecided

Thomas gives actors the tools needed to deliver great performances, and My Mother’s Wedding largely shows that. Miller brilliantly balances the punchy smugness of Victoria with her genuine broken heart under the surface, while Beecham nicely chronicles Georgina’s journey of growth to attain her strength.

However, Johansson often seems like she’s holding herself back too much, even in moments in which she’s meant to show vulnerability. But what really stuck out was her English accent, which sounds so subdued it barely feels like it’s there. Along with a similarly in-the-middle accent from Miller, it made me wonder if there was meant to be one.

Thankfully, My Mother’s Wedding avoids being brought down by unclear accent work. It may not reach the heights of other great dysfunctional family indies, but the characters are at least engaging enough to watch that the movie isn’t a waste of time.