A Quiet Little Marriage

A Quiet Little Marriage follows Dax and Olive, a couple whose comfortable domestic life begins to wobble after Olive asks for a baby. The film observes how small domestic rhythms, bedroom habits, and obligations to family and friends start to shift as conversations about timing, responsibility, and desire grow louder. Arguments simmer, private insecurities surface, and decisions once taken for granted feel heavier. Humor appears in awkward or tender moments, but the tone often stays raw and intimate, focusing on how two people communicate and miscommunicate in private settings. The story keeps close to their daily interactions, showing how a single request can bring up deeper questions about identity, commitment, and the future without revealing how those questions are answered.

Released in 2008, the independent feature was directed by Mo Perkins and written by creators Cy Carter and Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who also star as Dax and Olive, produced on a modest budget and screened at a number of festivals.

The film did not pursue a wide release, instead running mainly on the festival circuit and in select independent theaters, so it reached a small, niche audience and did not register significant mainstream box office returns nor large digital exposure.

Critical and audience response was mixed, reflected by an average rating around 5.1/10. Many noted strong, honest performances from the leads and the film's frank handling of intimacy and domestic tension, while others pointed to uneven pacing, tonal shifts, and a preference for character detail over conventional plot development choices.

While A Quiet Little Marriage never achieved mainstream notoriety, it has been discovered by viewers who follow intimate, dialogue-driven indie dramas and by fans of its cast, including Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Charlie Day and Jimmi Simpson, who appreciate its candid look at partnerships and private struggles from different life stages.