Pieces of a Woman 2020

Martha Weiss and Sean Carson are a couple living in Boston, eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first child. Sean, who works in construction, and Martha, an executive, bond over their excitement during a visit to a car dealership where Martha’s brother-in-law, Chris, is employed. To celebrate, Martha’s mother, Elizabeth, surprises them with a minivan. Sean shows his love by giving Martha ultrasound pictures to decorate their nursery, capturing their joyful anticipation.

However, the night takes a dramatic turn when Martha goes into labor. With their midwife, Barbara, unavailable, Eva, played by Molly Parker, steps in to assist. As Martha endures the agony of labor, her nausea and anxiety intensify. When she reaches ten centimeters, the midwife prepares her for the delivery in the bedroom. But as the labor progresses, Eva realizes that the baby’s heart rate is plummeting during contractions. Concerned, she alerts a frantic Sean of the potential need to rush to the hospital. Despite the escalating fear, Martha, fueled by determination, resists the idea of leaving her familiar space and pushes with all her might to deliver her baby.

In a heartbreaking twist, after bringing her daughter into the world, Martha and Sean face an unimaginable tragedy as their newborn goes into cardiac arrest. The weeks that follow are filled with grief and encounters that highlight Martha’s profound loss, including a moment in a grocery store where she unexpectedly lactates upon seeing a little girl. Martha grapples not only with her sorrow but also with familial pressure, attending a coroner’s appointment that reveals their baby died in a low-oxygen environment, leaving them questioning their choices.

As Martha struggles with her emotions, her relationship with Sean begins to fracture under the weight of their grief. Tensions rise as they argue about the baby’s room, and Sean, overwhelmed, finds solace in an affair with Martha’s cousin, Suzanne, who also serves as the attorney prosecuting Eva. Martha’s mother blames her for the tragedy, further straining their relationship.

As time progresses, Martha is drawn into Eva’s trial, where she ultimately speaks her truth, asserting that she does not hold Eva responsible for her daughter’s death. Back at home, she nurtures her healing journey, finding hope when apple seeds she planted begin to sprout. In a poignant ritual, a month later, she scatters her daughter’s ashes in the river, embracing her loss while looking toward the future.

Years later, Martha finds herself surrounded by new life when she helps a little girl climb down from an apple tree. This moment symbolizes her ongoing journey of healing, where she learns to nurture hope amidst the pain.