Private Life (2018) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story takes place primarily in New York City, where Rachel and Richard live, but also spans several other locations including Little Rock, Arkansas, upstate New York (Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson and the Yaddo Colony in Saratoga Springs), and Virginia. These different settings reflect the couple's journey as they navigate fertility treatments, family visits, and Sadie's personal life.

• new york city
• arkansas
• bard college
• yaddo
• setting
• locations

The film is set in the present day, specifically in the late 2010s. The story reflects contemporary reproductive options including IVF, donor eggs, social-worker interviews for adoption, and current medical practices around fertility treatments.

• present day
• 2010s
• modern
• fertility
• ivf
• time period

The central theme is the painful struggle with infertility and the profound desire for parenthood. The film explores how the inability to conceive tests a couple's patience, emotional resilience, and relationship. It examines how the intense longing to become parents redefines their identity, intimacy, and life priorities.

• infertility
• parenthood
• desire for child
• fertility struggle

The film delves into the moral complexities of using donor eggs, including issues of consent, boundaries, and the future impact on family relationships. Rachel and Richard must navigate medical probabilities, emotional risks, and the complicated question of whether using donor genetic material feels right for their family.

• donor eggs
• ethics
• ivf
• fertility treatment
• consent
• family

The stress of infertility and mounting debt from treatments strains their intimacy, communication, and trust. As hope diminishes and financial pressure mounts, their close relationship weakens. However, the narrative also shows them attempting to reconnect through shared decisions, demonstrating how external pressures can erode trust while love still remains.

• marriage
• marital strain
• infertility
• trust
• stress
• relationship

Sadie Barrett is Richard and Rachel's 25-year-old niece, a writer who volunteers to donate her eggs to help the couple conceive. Her generous offer becomes central to the plot, testing family boundaries and raising questions about altruism, personal autonomy, and the emotional weight of giving a child to someone else.

• sadie barrett
• niece
• egg donor
• character
• family

Richard Grimes is portrayed as a practical, anxious, middle-aged man struggling with infertility and the pressure to start a family. He carries significant debt and feels responsible for his wife and their future. His journey reveals a deep desire to protect his marriage even as hope for parenthood wanes, balancing rational planning with emotional vulnerability.

• richard grimes
• character
• anxiety
• practical
• marriage

Rachel Biegler is a thoughtful and determined woman who leads the couple's search for a child. She wrestles with the ethics of donor eggs and the physical risks of IVF while remaining committed to her partner. Her stance evolves throughout the film, from hesitant to more open to donor options, as the difficult process takes an emotional toll.

• rachel biegler
• character
• determined
• fertility
• ivf

Sadie's offer to donate her eggs serves as a focal point for exploring family boundaries. The film reveals how altruism can both heal and complicate relationships. It shows that giving a child to someone else carries significant emotional weight for everyone involved, raising questions about where family duties end and personal autonomy begins.

• family boundaries
• generosity
• altruism
• niece
• egg donation

Charlie Grimes is Richard's brother-in-law, a stabilizing presence who helps with financial pressure while also highlighting family obligations. His wife Cynthia is skeptical about egg donation and wary of emotional entanglements, questioning consent and potential impacts on her own family. Together, they represent the balance between family support and realistic concern.

• charlie grimes
• cynthia grimes
• family
• support
• financial help

The film has a bittersweet tone, balancing the profound disappointment and financial strain of failed fertility treatments with the enduring love between Rachel and Richard. While the subject matter is emotionally heavy, the focus remains on quiet, domestic scenes rather than high-drama moments, resulting in a steady, deliberate pacing.

• tone
• bittersweet
• emotional
• domestic
• realistic

The ending is hopeful rather than purely happy or sad. Although their final IVF attempt fails, Rachel and Richard find relief in stopping their grueling efforts. The final scene suggests they are reconnecting as a couple and remain open to adoption, indicating a path forward without the physical and emotional toll of fertility treatments.

• ending
• hopeful
• adoption
• resolution
• failed ivf