Married in America
Encyclopedia
Married in America is an ongoing documentary film
series that follows the lives of nine American married couples. Directed by British director Michael Apted
, it is a similar take on his famed Up Series.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
series that follows the lives of nine American married couples. Directed by British director Michael Apted
Michael Apted
Michael David Apted, CMG is an English director, producer, writer and actor. He is one of the most prolific British film directors of his generation but is best known for his work on the Up Series of documentaries and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.On 29 June 2003 he was elected...
, it is a similar take on his famed Up Series.
Premise
Beginning in 2001, interviews are conducted every five years to gauge the lives of the couples and to evaluate American married life as a whole. Participants are asked about their feelings and perceptions of their marriage and married lives. The collective interviews provide insight into the state of marriage, and how it changes over time.Participants
Participants were selected to highlight the different social, economic, and cultural factors that can affect marriage.- Amber and Scott – Scott, a former United States Marine, is married to Amber, a cosmopolitan woman. They currently live in AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
- Betty and Reggie are an interracial couple that have known each other since childhood. They were childhood sweethearts, and were married and now live in QueensQueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
- David is a widower who found companionship in Brenda after his wife's death. They were married in MexicaliMexicaliMexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, near where Brenda's family lives.
- Chuck and Carol have been married multiple times in their lives. They have children and grandchildren already with other partners.
- Cheryl and Neal are a multicultural couple. Cheryl is Filipino, and Neal is Jewish. Cultural and religious differences between their families have led to tension. They were married in Walt Disney World and currently live in ManhattanManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
- Donna and Todd are upwardly-mobile "yuppieYuppieYuppie is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s. It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession...
" New Yorkers. They were married shortly before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
- Nadine and Frank are an African-American couple. Nadine is a pharmacist, while Frank is a steelworker. They got married despite the seven-year age disparity between them.
- Toni and Kelly are a lesbianLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
couple living in central New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. They were initially wed through a civil union in Vermont, later having a non-binding ceremony for family and friends. They have been involved in same-sex activism and gay rights issues.
- Vanessa and Chris' were married shortly after the September 11 attacks. Chris is a New York City police officer, and Vanessa is a housewife.
Episode list
- Married in America - June 17, 2002 on A&EA&E NetworkThe A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
- Married in America 2 - May 23, 2007 on Hallmark ChannelHallmark ChannelThe Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...