Summaries

Synopsis

Michael (Zach Braff) (29yrs old) and his live-in girlfriend Jenna (Jacinda Barrett) appear to have the perfect relationship (She has nice boobs and a great ass to boot). Jenna is ten weeks pregnant, and her parents are pressuring the pair to get married, but Jenna claims that Michael's work pressures and her working on her dissertation render it an inopportune time for marriage. The real reason, unbeknownst to anyone, is that Michael feels trapped and scared. Although he considers Jenna an ideal companion, Michael is having second thoughts.His friend Izzy is having a bad break up with Arianna (Marley Shelton), who treats him like shit. Meanwhile his friend Chris has a child with his wife Lisa (Lauren Lee Smith). Lisa mistrusts Chris. Michael thinks all marriages are this bad and doesn't want to rush into anything with Jenna. The friends are emotionally there for each other.

In a chance encounter at a wedding, Michael meets Kim (Rachel Bilson), to whom he confides about his relationship. Kim guesses he is about to break up with Jenna and becomes flirtatious. While Michael is intrigued by Kim's youthfulness, openness, and spirit, he does not succumb to temptation. The two part ways with Kim telling Michael where she attends school (the University of Wisconsin-Madison) and when and where she usually hangs out.

Michael freaks out when Jenna says that they should buy a house (her parents can help them with the down payment). Michael admits that he will marry Jenna when she can point out 3 couples that lasted more than 5 yrs. Jenna thinks her parents are the perfect couple, not knowing that even they are going through a messy separation. Jenna's mom Anna (Blythe Danner) cannot stand her husband Stephen. She regrets not marrying her secret affair Professor Bowler (Harold Ramis) and continues to meet him now. Anna is so angry that she tells Stephen that she slept with another man.

Anna tells Jenna that she is leaving her father. Jenna feels Anna is bored with her father and accuses of not knowing how to keep men happy. she says she has figured out Michael in 30 mins.Michael eventually seeks her out at the Memorial Union but tells Kim he was in the area only because of a client meeting. Kim senses his romantic interest and, while Michael drives her home, invites him to a party. Michael accepts. Back in the office, Michael constructs an excuse to be away from Jenna on the night of the party. He asks Chris (Casey Affleck), his friend and co-worker, to cover for him in case Jenna calls. Chris suspects Michael has met another woman and wishes to avoid becoming involved, as Chris himself has just left his wife; he knows first-hand how painful a breakup can be. Michael denies the existence of another woman and merely says he will "be with an old college friend."

After the party with Kim-who Michael says makes him "feel ten years younger"-the two kiss several times, preceding Kim inviting Michael to her dorm for the night. Guilt over cheating on Jenna prevails over temptation, however, and he refuses. Unfortunately for Michael, the father of their mutual friend Izzy (Michael Weston) dies that night. Several friends and acquaintances, including Jenna and Chris, go to Izzy's home with their condolences. There, Jenna realizes Michael had not been, as he claimed, with Chris. Jenna confronts Chris but Chris refuses to answer her questions, which only fuels Jenna's suspicions that Michael has indeed gone astray.When Michael arrives home that night, Jenna becomes confrontational; Michael at first denies he was out with Kim, but eventually admits he had seen another woman. Although he points out he didn't sleep with her and that the outing meant nothing, Jenna is too enraged to believe him and kicks him out of the house, threatening him with a chef's knife.

Alone, depressed, and desperate, Michael receives a call from Kim. Kim apologizes for being demanding earlier and asks him to come over for conversation only. Michael agrees. Upon arrival, the pair immediately have sex. The next morning, Michael tries sneaking away without waking Kim but notices once he gets out the door that he left his keys behind. Upon his return, Kim demands to know why he hadn't said goodbye. Michael tells her simply that he did not want to wake her, as he had to be at work early. Kim takes the missing keys out of her pocket and returns them after Michael promises to call her.Meanwhile Anna reconciles with Stephen and moves back in. A little later Jenna also arrives.

At work, Michael plans on leaving early to seek out Jenna. On his way out, Kim visits his office unannounced, wanting to give him a mix CD. Michael confides he still loves Jenna, who he informs Kim is pregnant with his baby. He apologizes to Kim for not telling her and leaves her in search of Jenna.Michael pulls up to Jenna's parents' home, and Jenna's father Stephen (Tom Wilkinson), gives a stern lecture about commitment and adulthood and offers advice on winning Jenna's forgiveness. Stephen urges Michael to be completely honest and never stop trying. Equipped with his wisdom, Michael goes into Jenna's room. On the verge of reconciliation, Jenna asks if he was telling the truth about having sex with Kim. Michael says he was telling the truth (at the time)-but as a result of Stephen's advice he confesses he went back later that night. Despite Michael's pleas that he was just being honest, Jenna nonetheless becomes outraged and inconsolable, storming out of the house and back to their apartment.Chris goes back to Lisa.

Michael follows her back and finds himself locked out. He stakes out on the front porch until Jenna agrees to talk. Both day and night, wet and dry, Michael remains at the front door with many neighbors taking notice and some even providing beverages to him. Stephen even proceeds to drive by in his car and notices Michael, who sees him. A proud smile develops on his face as he drives off, acknowledging that Michael has taken his advice seriously. Slowly, she begins to relent, first tossing out a blanket during a cold evening, then dropping off a sandwich the next day.

During the evening of what would have been his third night on the porch, Jenna breaks her silence and speaks to Michael through the closed door. She compares the painful "last romantic kiss" to her grandmother's death. She says it was a kiss with very painful feeling, and she laments about mourning the loss of the romantic relationship like the loss of someone's life. Later that evening, Jenna opens the door and Michael goes inside.