WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Pieces of a Woman, currently in theaters and available on Netflix.
Pieces of a Woman is an emotional tale of a couple that's struggling to cope with the sudden loss of their baby. Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia LaBeouf) are slowly drifting away, after their girl, Yvette, died seconds after being born. To prolong the drama, her family is hellbent on sending the midwife, Eva (Molly Parker), to jail for neglect and manslaughter after the botched birth.
Sadly, as the divide grows, the couple cheats on each other while Sean spirals back into his drug habit. However, the finale finds Martha digging deep into her past and realizing how much her relationship with her own mother, Liz (Ellen Burstyn), is impacting her. This helps Martha gain an epiphany in the middle of the trial months later as she finally understands how to deal with her PTSD.
Midway through the trial, as she's grilled by Eva's defense, Martha asks for a recess. She's granted it and heads to a photo studio to process the one picture of her and the baby on the night, finally breaking down after trying to be strong for the entire film. It's been a facade, trying to appease her strong-willed mom who wants her to be tough as that ran in their bloodline. Martha's grandmother was a holocaust survivor who hid Liz away, stealing and raising her on her own, so Liz wants Martha to show the same fortitude.
But when Martha addresses the court, she confesses, despite mounting evidence against Eva, that it wasn't the midwife's fault. She did everything to ensure a safe birth and immediately tried to save the child. Martha thanks her, bringing relief to Eva while sending a message to her mom and sister. Martha admits they need to move on and Yvette didn't come into this world for such a brief time just to perpetuate this cycle of depression.
Sadly, Sean isn't there for all this because Liz, who didn't like him, paid him off to leave when it became clear the marriage was over. He moved to Seattle but left Martha a hat that was used as part of his construction job, building a nearby bridge. Martha, finally at peace, is found wearing his hat and pouring the baby's ashes on the bridge weeks later, as Sean always wanted Yvette to be the first person to cross the bridge. It confirms Martha didn't donate the body to science or bury it, reiterating she got control of her life back as everyone else had plans for the funeral.
She also has lunch with Liz and Anita, grateful for their support. It's bittersweet, however, as Liz's memory is failing, leaving Martha wanting to enjoy the little time she has left with her. As time passes, the final scene shows a young girl, Lucy, climbing an apple tree and Martha coming to get her for dinner. It's implied this is her daughter, but it's unclear if she's adopted or Martha found someone else. As they go inside, Martha's finally happy because she's gotten pieces of her soul back.
Throughout the film, Martha is found eating apples. Initially, she eats fresh ones, but as her depression grows, she's pocketing half-eaten and rotten ones. In this way, the apple represents her overall happiness.
When Martha starts to glean clarity, she buys seeds and starts growing them in her fridge, finally believing things could look up again. At the trial, it's revealed why -- Yvette smelled like apples when she was born and Martha can't let go of the scent. This explains why the film ends with Lucy in the apple trees, as it connects Lucy to Yvette and reminds Martha of her trials and tribulations.
Pieces of a Woman, starring Vanessa Kirby, Ellen Burstyn, Shia LaBeouf, Molly Parker, Sarah Snook, Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie and Jimmie Fails, is currently in theaters and available on Netflix.
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