Essay Questions

What is the MacArthur Fellowship Grant?

The MacArthur Fellowship grant (or "genius grant" in common terms), is awarded by the MacArthur Foundation to twenty or thirty people per year who are U.S. citizens that show "extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction." In the film, Charlie wins the award after being nominated for it (no applications are accepted). The award has been called "one of the most significant awards that is truly 'no strings attached.'" It is given out to people so that they can continue working in their fields to better the world.

What are some of the issues that Charlie and Nicole face in their marriage?

Charlie and Nicole face a number of issues in their marriage. Most notably, the two deal with communication issues, jealousy, time away from each other, and perhaps most significantly, Charlie's infidelity with one of his colleagues. They try to work these issues out in couples therapy, but Nicole becomes frustrated with the process and the two decide to stop attending counseling.

Why is Charlie and Nicole's divorce battle so contentious?

After Charlie's infidelity, his selfishness, and Charlie and Nicole's communication issues, the two divorce. The two very quickly retain counsel to guide them through the process. Charlie initially hires a calm, kind lawyer; Nicole hires a ruthless, unrelenting lawyer. Both Charlie and Nicole initially want to settle the divorce amicably, but Nicole's lawyer pushes very hard for the divorce proceedings to become more toxic and contentious. She pushes Nicole to ask Charlie for more and more, initially to Nicole's displeasure. Eventually, Nicole buys into her lawyer's viewpoint and she escalates the divorce proceedings. Because of this, Charlie hires a more ruthless lawyer, and the tension between Nicole and Charlie ratchets up. Eventually, the tension between the two dies down and they reach a mutually beneficial agreement to settle their divorce.