Movie Review: Kristin Scott Thomas directs Scarlett Johansson in comedic drama 'My Mother’s Wedding'

Before Kristin Scott Thomas turned 12, she lost her father and stepfather. Both were Royal Navy pilots who died in crashes. The first happened when she was 5. The second at age 11. Thomas uses these facts, a kind of origin story, as the basis for her directorial debut, “My Mother’s Wedding,” a comedic drama about family, trauma and getting on with it that opens in theaters Friday.

Knowing that the story comes from a real place is important for the experience. It gives “My Mother’s Wedding,” a perfectly average film that doesn’t quite land the way it should, an emotional depth that it’s otherwise lacking. This is a strange shortcoming considering the caliber of the cast, including Thomas as the bride to be, and Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham and Scarlett Johansson as her daughters. But