Take This Waltz (film)

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Take This Waltz is a 2011 romantic comedy-drama written, produced, and directed by Sarah Polley. Set in Toronto’s Little Portugal, it follows Margot, a 28-year-old freelance writer married to Lou for almost five years. Their life together is comfortable but unstimulating until Margot meets their charismatic neighbor Daniel, an artist and rickshaw driver. As Margot and Daniel grow closer, she confronts her feelings and the reality of remaining faithful to her husband.

The story tracks Margot’s inner conflict, Daniel’s growing hurt, and the couple’s attempts to navigate love, honesty, and happiness. After several intimate moments and a turning point on their anniversary night, Margot decides she wants a divorce and pursues a relationship with Daniel. Meanwhile, Lou pursues his own dream of publishing a cookbook. Complications arise as Geraldine, Lou’s sister and Margot’s friend, struggles with sobriety, and Margot faces the consequences of her choices. In the end, Margot and Daniel settle into a new, tempered rhythm, and the film closes with Margot alone on an amusement park ride, reflecting on what happiness means.

Production took place in 2010–2011, mainly around Toronto with some work in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. A notable press moment came from a communal shower scene featuring Michelle Williams, Jennifer Podemski, and Sarah Silverman.

Take This Waltz premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2011, and was later shown at several festivals worldwide. Magnolia Pictures acquired U.S. rights and released the film through Ultra VOD in May 2012 before a June 29, 2012, theatrical release. It opened in Canadian theaters the same day and also screened in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Financially, the film grossed about $4.9 million worldwide. In the United States, it earned roughly $1.24 million. Critics gave it generally positive reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes listing a 79% approval rating and Metacritic a score of 68. Critics praised Williams’s emotionally charged performance and Polley’s insightful handling of love, desire, and the complexities of marriage, while some noted occasional tonal unevenness.