Thirty years ago, young NYC filmmaker Edward Burns debuted The Brothers McMullen, a story about Long Island brothers who were trying to find their way in the world and in love. Edward Burns is now middle-aged and has returned with a respectable story about another New York family. Another three siblings, all on the other side of 50 (and 60…), all dealing with pieces of their marriages. With Millers in Marriage, Burns creates a well-crafted family drama, yet for a story focused on an extravagance, the Millers’ turmoil should have equally been amped. In trying to be relatable, the blending is too vanilla. This is one brew that should instead be running hot with cayenne pepper.

 

The Millers are Eve, married to the alcoholic rock-n-roller Scott. The best-selling author Maggie, who is in a plain relationship with Nick, a writer with a permanent block. And Andy, recently separated from the crazy Tina, and now dating the slightly-more-stable Renee. When not hanging out in their ridiculously-huge NYC lofts, they are moping around in the mountains with their equally-expansive ranchers. All three think they have a handle on their relationships. All three are wrong.

 

Burns has matured since his debut. His shocking sex-talk has mellowed into an expanse of middle-aged second starts and dreamy new horizons. Burns plays Andy, who could very well be Barry McMullen thirty years on; now with an impending divorce and an old man’s beard. He growls with the same New Yawk inflection and still has fire in his eyes that many artists have since dulled. Along with editor Janet Gaynor and DP William Rexer, Burns cuts back-and-forth between the families and in-between times. He does away with the constant wide-shots and pushes in for close ups. He tracks as a voyeur, providing intimate looks of guilt and uncertainty. But it is all window-shopping glitz; Pottery Barn chic instead of Restoration Hardware simple. 

 

Millers in Marriage, however, boasts an outstanding cast, all of whom give a great performance. Eve (Gretchen Mol) deals with emotional heartache from her absent husband, Scott (the always-fantastic Patrick Wilson), and the temptation of a suave music critic (Benjamin Bratt). Maggie (Julianna Margulies) loves her career as an author but is falling out of love with Nick (the equally-fantastic Campbell Scott) in a hard way. Andy (Burns) has since moved on from the crazy Tina (Firefly’s Morena Baccarin) and is enjoying his time with a new girlfriend, but Renee (Minnie Driver) sees the spectre of Tina as a jealous obstacle. 

 

Burns lets his characters play with indecision and temptation. Yet tonally, those decisions don’t alter the barometer; the story stays on course. There are no explosions of anger or devastating trials of woe. There is no pinnacle-reaching denouement in the narrative to the lives of this family. Decisions are made. New paths forged. But every resolution is a silent submission. Where the middle class McMullen boys would explode in an Irish fit soaked in Guinness, the upper-class Millers are silently docile with change, content with their oak milk.  

 

Burns’ storytelling has matured, as have his outlooks and ideals. When dealing with a grand tableau as wide as middle-age, he has the opportunity to make a splash. Instead, he detrimentally pulls back into cliche comfort. Millers in Marriage is entertaining enough with performances and dialogue. Yet instead of playing with contrasting black and whites, Burns resigns to staying gray.