The movie is set in the Pacific Northwest; specifically, Washington state. We know this from a glimpse of a license plate, the craftsman architecture of the two houses, and the mature, rich landscapes in between. The setting, like the scrutiny of the four main character's lives, is defined by the narrowness of the camera's field-of view. The one commercial street in town is only seen in the reflection of a store window, a shot of a non-descript auto-yard, or the tunnel of a tree-lined suburban sidewalk. The lush, wooded landscape is understood as an immediate presence in the domestic and professional lives of the characters; a steep hill, railroad tracks, a rushing stream, and a path over an old steel bridge are revisited again and again by the characters in their capacities as lovers, parents and friends. Written by Chester Weir The negligent housewife Terry is married with the teacher Jack Linden and they have a son and a daughter. The careful housewife Edith is married with the teacher and aspirant writer Hank Evans and they have a daughter. The two middle-class couples are best friends, visiting frequently each other. Edith feels neglected by Hank, and has a torrid affair with Jack. Terry loves Jack, but cheats him with Hank. And life goes on. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Scenes from two American marriages. Jack and Hank, best friends, teach at a small college. Their wives, Terry and Edith, keep house and raise children. Jack has begun an affair with Edith, cool, self-contained, and unhappy about Hank's philandering. Terry, emotional, vulnerable, and drinking too much, knows something is going on and confronts Jack; he's able to turn the accusation back at Terry, suggesting she has something going with Hank. Under the watchful and knowing eyes of their young children, each pursues connection, love, and self-knowledge. What is it to be an adult?
