Marriage: Just a Piece of Paper?

Narrated by journalist Cokie Roberts, Marriage: Just a Piece of Paper? explores the state of marriage in America, tackling familiar issues such as the high divorce rate and the fact that one out of every three births is to a single mother. But the film goes further than the traditional liberal vs. conservative attitudes toward marriage, examining the institution of marriage itself and its place in modern American society through interviews with real people that focus on how marriage and divorce affect individuals, families, and children. What are the costs of divorce? Should people simply live together? What do religious and government institutions do to support marriage? What about same-sex marriages? In examining these and other questions, this interesting documentary intertwines history, a contemporary survey, and incisive speculation about the future role of marriage in society. Recommended. Aud: P. (J. Asala)