The film is about divorce but with flashbacks as to why divorce occurs.
Well-to-do Joyce Ramsey is the dominant and domineering force in her household comprised of her lawyer husband David Ramsey, their young-adult daughter Diana, and their late-teen daughter Martha. Everything Joyce has done in the course of her marriage to David has been in the pursuit of wealth, prestige, comfort and security for her and the family, which belies her and David's humble beginnings. Their current wealth and status began with a white lie told by Joyce to one of David's potential clients when David was still struggling as a lawyer, that lie which had the consequence of Joyce, and by association David, stepping on a friend's back as they climbed the social ladder, Joyce never to look back. Joyce has no real idea of how her actions have negatively affected David's feelings for her, so she's blindsided when David tells her he no longer loves her and asks for a divorce. Joyce's friends put into her mind that another woman could be involved, which makes Joyce curious--is that the sole reason? She starts to reflect on key points of their marriage. Those reflections, Joyce's investigation into David's possible infidelity, her getting a glimpse of her future without David and his love, and her getting a sense of that young, pure love again that she and David truly had when they wed, could affect what Joyce decides to do about David's request for the divorce.—Huggo
The Ramseys, David and Joyce (Barry Sullivan and Bette Davis), have been married for about 21 years and have two daughters (Betty Lynn and Peggie Castle). One day, a grumpy David comes home and announces that he wants a divorce. Joyce is shocked, though she really shouldn't be. She and her husband have widely divergent values. She's an ambitious social-climber, and he wanted to have a practice with his partner Robert (Kent Taylor) and live on a farm. The life she has driven him into has made him miserable.
In flashback, Joyce reviews their young love and early marriage, during which she manages to steer a lucrative client her husband's way -- and away from his partner Robert. When Robert finds out, an important friendship ends. When Joyce gives birth to their second child, David informs her that they're moving to San Francisco so he can work with his client's new business, and he'd like to buy a farm outside the city. Joyce may be weak from childbirth, but she manages to gather enough strength to make a scene. From there, she manages to get in with the society crowd, even though her husband tells her he doesn't like "snooty people." And on it goes.
The couple separate; Joyce finds out David is seeing someone and uses it to get an enormous settlement with the threat that she'll ruin the woman's reputation. Then she goes on a cruise and learns something. Loneliness isn't fun.
