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Take This Waltz (2012) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Take This Waltz (2012) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2012 · 116 min · English
JustWatch #4,247 26
Starring
Sarah Silverman, Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Aaron Abrams

Margot finds her seemingly stable marriage challenged by an unexpected and intense connection with a charming stranger, Daniel. As their forbidden relationship develops amidst the Toronto summer heat, she is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about herself and her life. The film explores themes of love, longing, and the complexities of relationships, questioning the foundations of commitment and the search for personal identity.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (4)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Take This Waltz
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Take This Waltz (2012)

Where can you watch Take This Waltz? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on fuboTV, Netflix and Netflix Standard: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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4 main characters · contains spoilers

Take This Waltz Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Take This Waltz (2012), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Margot

    Margot is a freelance writer caught in a comfortable yet uninspiring marriage to Lou. Her character is marked by a restless desire for more out of life, which drives her encounters with Daniel. As she grapples with her feelings and insecurities, Margot ultimately seeks to redefine her identity and happiness.

    • ✍️ Writer
    • 💍 Married
    • 🤔 Insecure
  • Lou

    played by Seth Rogen

    Lou is Margot's devoted husband who is deeply invested in his work on a cookbook. He represents stability and dedication but also embodies the comfort that leaves Margot yearning for excitement. Lou's genuine affection for Margot makes the discovery of her feelings for Daniel all the more painful.

    • 👨‍🍳 Cook
    • 💕 Devoted
    • 🌿 Family Man
  • Daniel

    Daniel is an artistic rickshaw operator who becomes the object of Margot's affections. His free-spirited nature contrasts sharply with Lou's stability, embodying the allure of new passion. However, his frustration with Margot's indecision ultimately leads him to step back, marking a turning point in their relationship.

    • 🛺 Rickshaw Operator
    • 🎨 Artistic
    • 💔 Frustrated Lover
  • Geraldine

    Geraldine is Lou's sister and Margot's best friend, whose struggles with alcoholism add depth to the narrative. She serves as a pivotal character reflecting themes of loyalty and personal turmoil. Her relationship with Margot becomes strained upon learning of Margot's feelings for Daniel, further emphasizing the emotional stakes.

    • 🍷 Recovering Alcoholic
    • 💔 Best Friend
    • 👩‍👧‍👦 Complicated Relationships

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:04

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Setting

Where and When Does Take This Waltz Take Place?

The setting of Take This Waltz (2012): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

The story unfolds in contemporary times, reflecting modern relationships and emotional complexities. The film explores themes of marriage and infidelity in a world where personal aspirations often clash with societal expectations. The timeline is marked by significant moments that influence Margot's decisions regarding love and loyalty.

Location

Louisburg, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto

Louisburg is a historic town in Nova Scotia, known for its well-preserved 18th-century fortress and charming coastal scenery. It serves as a backdrop for Margot's encounters with Daniel, adding a romantic yet nostalgic quality to their connection. Other cities like Halifax, Montreal, and Toronto provide a diverse urban landscape that frames the evolving dynamics of Margot's relationships.

  • 🏙️ Cities
  • 🌊 Coastal Towns

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:04

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3 major themes

Take This Waltz Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Take This Waltz (2012) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Love and Betrayal

    The film delves into the intricacies of love and the pain of betrayal. Margot's struggle between her commitment to Lou and her burgeoning feelings for Daniel highlights the emotional turmoil that often accompanies the quest for personal happiness. The theme resonates throughout the narrative, ultimately leading to profound consequences for all characters.

  • Self-Discovery

    Margot's journey reflects her quest for self-discovery amidst a seemingly content marriage. As she navigates her aspirations and insecurities, she learns about her own desires and the repercussions of her choices. This theme of self-exploration is vital to understanding her motivations and the transformative nature of her relationships.

  • Choices and Consequences

    The narrative intricately weaves together the theme of choices and their fallout. Margot's decisions are pivotal, affecting not only her happiness but also the lives of those around her. The film emphasizes that every choice carries weight, as seen in the contrasting paths of Margot and Daniel's evolving relationship.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:04

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Character & theme questions

Take This Waltz Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Take This Waltz (2012): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is Take This Waltz set?

The film is primarily set in Toronto, with key scenes also taking place in Louisburg, Nova Scotia. Louisburg serves as a romantic backdrop for Margot's encounters with Daniel, adding nostalgic charm to their connection. Other cities like Halifax and Montreal also appear, providing an urban landscape that frames the evolving relationships.

  • toronto setting
  • louisburg nova scotia
  • filming locations
  • canadian cities
Q2

Why is Louisburg significant in the film?

Louisburg provides a historic and picturesque backdrop that contrasts with Margot's everyday life in Toronto. The town's well-preserved 18th-century fortress and coastal scenery create a romantic, almost timeless atmosphere for Margot and Daniel's connection, emphasizing the dreamy quality of their forbidden attraction.

  • louisburg
  • nova scotia
  • romantic setting
  • historic town
Q3

When does Take This Waltz take place?

The story unfolds in contemporary times, reflecting modern relationship dynamics and emotional complexities. The film explores marriage and infidelity in a world where personal aspirations often clash with societal expectations, set against a contemporary urban backdrop.

  • modern era
  • contemporary setting
  • present day
Q4

What are the main themes of Take This Waltz?

The film explores three interconnected themes: love and betrayal, self-discovery, and choices and consequences. These themes weave through Margot's internal struggle between commitment and desire, her journey to understand her own identity, and the weight of her decisions on everyone around her.

  • themes
  • love and betrayal
  • self-discovery
  • choices and consequences
Q5

What does the love and betrayal theme explore?

The film delves into the intricacies of love and the pain of betrayal. Margot's struggle between her commitment to Lou and her growing feelings for Daniel highlights the emotional turmoil that accompanies seeking personal happiness. This theme resonates throughout, leading to profound consequences for all characters involved.

  • marital affair
  • emotional conflict
  • betrayal
  • infidelity
Q6

How does the film explore self-discovery?

Margot's journey reflects her quest for self-identity amidst a seemingly content marriage. As she navigates her aspirations and insecurities, she discovers her own desires and faces the repercussions of her choices. This theme of self-exploration is vital to understanding her motivations and the transformative nature of her relationships.

  • identity
  • personal growth
  • margot character
  • journey
Q7

What does the choices and consequences theme represent?

The narrative emphasizes that every choice carries weight, affecting not only Margot's happiness but also the lives of those around her. The theme is explored through contrasting paths, Margot's internal conflict about leaving her marriage versus Daniel's own journey, showing how decisions ripple outward to impact multiple people.

  • decision making
  • consequences
  • regret
  • life choices
Q8

Who is Margot and what role does she play?

Margot is a freelance writer trapped in a comfortable yet uninspiring marriage to Lou. Her restless desire for more out of life drives her encounters with Daniel. She serves as the film's emotional center, grappling with feelings and insecurities while seeking to redefine her identity and happiness.

  • margot
  • protagonist
  • writer
  • marriage dilemma
Q9

Who is Lou and what does he represent in the story?

Lou is Margot's devoted husband, deeply invested in his work on a cookbook. He represents stability, dedication, and the comfortable life that leaves Margot yearning for excitement. His genuine affection for Margot makes her internal conflict and eventual choices all the more painful for both of them.

  • lou
  • husband
  • stability
  • cookbook author
Q10

Who is Daniel and why is he important?

Daniel is an artistic rickshaw operator who becomes the object of Margot's affection. His free-spirited nature contrasts sharply with Lou's stability, embodying the allure of new passion and excitement. However, his frustration with Margot's indecision eventually leads him to step back, marking a significant turning point in their relationship.

  • daniel
  • rickshaw operator
  • love interest
  • passion
Q11

Who is Geraldine and what function does she serve?

Geraldine is Lou's sister and Margot's best friend, whose struggles with alcoholism add depth to the narrative. She serves as a pivotal character reflecting themes of loyalty and personal turmoil. Her relationship with Margot becomes strained upon learning of Margot's feelings for Daniel, further emphasizing the emotional stakes and consequences of Margot's choices.

  • geraldine
  • lou's sister
  • alcoholism
  • best friend
Q12

How does the setting contribute to the film's tone?

The Toronto summer heat plays a significant role in shaping the film's mood. The oppressive warmth intensifies Margot's emotional restlessness and the suffocating nature of her marriage. This setting creates a contemplative, introspective atmosphere that mirrors the characters' internal struggles and desire for escape.

  • summer heat
  • toronto atmosphere
  • mood
  • emotional tone

Movie threads

More Movies Like Take This Waltz, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Take This Waltz tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about bittersweet romance and life choices like Take This Waltz

Stories where the heart's desire clashes with the comfort of familiar love. If you liked the emotional dilemma in Take This Waltz, this collection features similar movies about love triangles and personal crossroads. These films delve into themes of fidelity, temptation, and the search for identity, often with a melancholic and contemplative tone that mirrors the complex reality of life choices.

  • melancholic
  • contemplative
  • romantic
  • uncomfortable
  • introspective
  • longing
  • Tone: bittersweet, melancholic, contemplative
  • Pacing: slow, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a protagonist at a personal crossroads, often within a long-term relationship. A new temptation or profound dissatisfaction forces a re-evaluation of their life, leading to an emotional journey that explores the 'what if.' The endings are seldom purely happy or sad, but bittersweet, acknowledging the gains and losses inherent in any significant choice.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their shared focus on romantic and existential dilemmas, their bittersweet emotional tone, and their thoughtful, character-driven pacing. The primary connection is the exploration of the complicated, often painful, process of choosing one path in life and irrevocably leaving another behind.

Atmospheric movies about restlessness like Take This Waltz

Films where a simmering discontent is amplified by a hazy, atmospheric setting. For viewers who appreciated the atmospheric summer heat and mood of longing in Take This Waltz, this list finds similar films. These movies use their settings to create a specific vibe and explore themes of midlife ennui, unfulfilled desires, and quiet emotional turmoil in an evocative, immersive way.

  • atmospheric
  • restless
  • melancholic
  • quiet
  • summer heat
  • introspective
  • Tone: melancholic, uneasy, contemplative
  • Pacing: slow, atmospheric
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative is often less about high-stakes plot and more about a slow-burn character study. A character feels trapped or stagnant in their current life, and the oppressive or evocative atmosphere (like a hot summer) acts as a catalyst, bringing their underlying discontent to a boil. The story follows their introspective, and sometimes passive, struggle with this feeling.

Why they belong together: These films share a specific mood-first approach. The connection is their strong, almost tangible atmosphere, a focus on internal emotional states like restlessness and melancholy, and a slow, deliberate pacing that allows the viewer to soak in the feeling of a place and a character's psyche.

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Every angle

Take This Waltz (2012) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Take This Waltz in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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