Jack (Ruffalo) and Edith (Watts) are deep into their sexual affair. Neither of their spouses seem, on the surface, to know about it. As the film unfolds, Jack's behavior practically goads his wife Terry (Dern) into admitting she too had a fling with Hank (Krause). Jack is unable to end either the affair or the marriage, and he won't even openly admit to his wife his infidelity.
Edith on the other hand doesn't seem emotionally connected to her husband or her lover. For her it is more playing with danger, she expects she will be found out eventually.
Terry is the most openly outraged, and in desperation pleads and pleads with Jack to see the value in her.
Hank appears the least aware of what is going on around him until it is too late.
Jack escapes again and again from facing his situation. The film uses his kids to tug at the audience's heartstrings, repeating their mother's anger but not realizing fully what's going on.
Terry appears way too desperate, but at least she accuses Jack and not Edith. Dern is always a sexually provocative actress but I've never found her attractive; she is usually the dominant actor in a couple and to pair her up with the often elusive Ruffalo doesn't appear to be a good match.
Curiously the two men and the two women remain friends with each other. Hank and Terry both in their own way release their spouses in a "if you love them, set them free" moment that for Hank's character I thought was too agreeable.
I needed to know more of the internal thought of these characters. Other than Terry, who was very vocal, the other didn't express enough of the why of how they behaved.
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