Life Itself

Life Itself follows a young New York couple, Will and Abby Dempsey, from their meeting at college through marriage and the birth of their child. The turns their relationship takes ripple outward, reaching other people across continents and generations. Among those whose lives intersect with theirs are a wealthy Spanish landowner, Vincent Saccione, and his employee Javier Gonzalez, along with Javier's wife and son, and Dylan, a young musician. A therapist, Dr. Cait Morris, is also drawn into the story's web.

Dan Fogelman directed and wrote the film, his second feature after Danny Collins in 2015, and produced it with Aaron Ryder and Wyck Godfrey. Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde play the central couple, with Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Cooke and Samuel L. Jackson in supporting roles. The large production involved 44 credited cast members and 216 credited crew, and was made as a co-production between Spain and the United States for a budget of 10 million dollars. It earned 8 million dollars worldwide, less than its cost.

Audience responses were warmer than critical ones. On IMDb it holds 6.9 out of 10 from around 27,000 votes, and on TMDB it sits at 7.2 out of 10 from roughly 648 votes, while the film critics' rating stands at 3.7 out of 10 from 154 reviews. The film runs 118 minutes and blends drama and romance.