Love and Other Impossible Pursuits Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A lawyer steals her boss, accidentally smothers their baby, and then makes friends with her incredibly rude stepson in a desperate attempt to win back her man, while the ex-wife keeps things classy.

🍿 Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Emilia’s Affair and Marriage

Emilia, a young lawyer, begins an affair with her married boss, Jack. Jack divorces his wife, Carolyn, and marries Emilia after she becomes pregnant. The film uses flashbacks to reveal the complex dynamics of their relationship and the impact on Jack’s existing family.

The Loss of Isabel and its Aftermath

Tragedy strikes when Emilia and Jack’s baby, Isabel, dies of SIDS just three days after birth. Emilia is consumed by grief and guilt, struggling to cope with the loss. The death strains her relationship with Jack and intensifies the animosity from his ex-wife, Carolyn, and stepson, William.

Strained Relationships and Blame

Emilia faces constant criticism from Carolyn, who blames her for breaking up her family. William is also influenced by his mother and acts out against Emilia. The tension and blame escalate, leading to difficulties in Emilia’s marriage and her attempts to bond with William.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Emilia (Natalie Portman): A young lawyer grappling with the loss of her infant daughter, her role as a stepmother, and the complexities of her marriage after having an affair with her boss.
• Jack (Scott Cohen): A senior partner at a law firm who leaves his wife for a younger colleague, only to face the challenges of a new marriage and the grief of losing a child.
• Carolyn (Lisa Kudrow): Jack’s embittered ex-wife who struggles with her ex-husband’s new relationship and seeks to protect her son from Emilia.
• William (Charlie Tahan): Jack and Carolyn’s son who is caught in the middle of his parents’ divorce and struggles to accept Emilia as his stepmother.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Emilia: “Why is she dead?” – Emilia asks this question, expressing her raw grief and disbelief over the sudden loss of her infant daughter.
• Carolyne: “You did not kill your baby.” – Carolyne repeats this to Emilia, aiming to relieve her of the guilt she has carried since her baby’s death.
• William: “I know. Me too.” – William responds to Emilia when she expresses her love for him, showing his eventual acceptance of her.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $5 million
• Domestic Gross: $25,423
• Worldwide Gross: $1,451,343

💥 Love and Other Impossible Pursuits Reviews

Personal Review

This movie really hit me hard. Watching Emilia struggle with the loss of her baby while dealing with the fallout from her affair was heartbreaking. I found myself sympathizing with her despite her initial actions, especially during her interactions with William. Natalie Portman delivered a powerful performance, showcasing Emilia’s vulnerability and inner turmoil, and I was emotionally invested in her journey to find peace.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of Natalie Portman”
  • “Viewers interested in dramas about family dynamics”
  • “Those who appreciate stories about grief and healing”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Death of an infant”
  • “Infidelity”
  • “Difficult family relationships”
  • “Emotional distress”

Professional Reviews

• Alt Film Guide: “While not a perfect film, Portman delivers a strong performance as a woman grappling with guilt and grief. The film effectively explores complex family dynamics, showcasing the challenges of second marriages and the delicate balance of emotions involved. Lisa Kudrow is a standout as the bitter ex-wife.
• IMDB User Review: “A very beautiful and unfortunately misunderstood movie. From the first scene as I was watching this movie it was made clear that it was not a romantic feel-good film. It was not about creating happy and beautiful couples. Even the adultery in the movie wasn’t what this all was about. The main plot of the movie, the main theme, was the loss of a child and how it affected the parents and those in their close vicinity. Emilia usually gets a lot of critique from viewers – from what I’ve seen – because of her status as a “homewrecker”. I’d like to add that this isn’t what the movie is about. It is true that her character entered a relationship with a married man, but that relationship is never justified. The point of the movie isn’t to paint her out as a terrific girl while his first wife (beautifully portrayed by Lisa Kudrow) is supposed to be painted out as a horrible person who deserved what she got.Through-out the film it’s clear that the ex-wife holds a grudge towards Emilia and she does act out on it a lot, delivering hateful comments and says things just with the intention to cause pain. But at the back of my mind this behavior was always justified. She had been wronged and betrayed, and I don’t believe the creators were trying to make her out to be vindictive or spiteful – just hurt and angry because of that hurt. And Emilia was never given scenes where she tried to justify what she’d done, or where the viewers were supposed to choose her “side” in the whole ordeal.The main theme of the movie was the child that Jack and Emilia lost and how that affected their relationship and most importantly how Emilia lived with the guilt of thinking she was the reason why their child had died. Jack points this out, saying that she hurts the people closest to her the most, and it affects their relationship so strongly that it comes to an end. The strongest scene for me, and the one scene that definitely showed what kind of person the ex-wife really was and where it became crystal clear that it wasn’t about revenge or hatred but pain and betrayal, was when Emilia gets called to Carolyn’s office so that the latter could make it clear that it wasn’t Emilia’s fault that her daughter died. Carolyn did this for her son, yes, but she didn’t have to. If she’d been a horrible person, that a lot of viewers seem to think the director wanted her to look like, then she wouldn’t have done it. This scene really implements that it was never about making anyone the victim or anyone the bad guy, but just about showing the situation for what it was and how everyone handled it differently, reacting as real human beings.I saw no glorification or romanticism of the affair. I saw no trying to blame it all on the horrible ex-wife. I saw three people who ended up in each others life because of a mistake and they all handled it as best as they could.
• IMDB User Review: “The movie is pretty far from being funny. A drama, yes. But comedy? No way…The story told in the movie is about Emilia having to come to terms with being the stepmother to William, a rather unique child. But at the same time she is struggling with the trauma of having lost her child, a rocky marriage to Jack and having to take the verbal beatings of his ex-wife Carolyne. The movie deals with a lot of good subjects, matters that are close to heart and real life. However, sadly enough, it never really fully delves into these matters, it is just superficially touched. And that is a terrible shame, because the movie had potential to become a very touchy and heartfelt movie. Instead it just came out as a superficial, shallow movie that wanted too much but delivered too little.As for the cast in the movie, well they had some really good names on the list, lots of good actors and actresses. Natalie Portman portrays Emilia in a very good way, and you do buy into her performance, except for the crying scenes, they were just not sinking in, they didn’t work at all. Lisa Kudrow did a good job as Carolyne (Jack’s ex-wife), however, Kudrow is still stuck with the Phoebe Buffay image, so it was casting a big shadow over her, unfortunately. Charlie Tahan did a marvelous job in portraying the troubled boy William. And he was perhaps the most memorable of all in the movie.This movie had potential to be great, but it failed to deliver, and that was a shame. When the movie was over, I was left with a thought saying “was that really it?”. I was disappointed in how the movie dealt with the deep matters that were part of the storyline. And as such, I am only rating the movie a 4 out of 10. The superficial nature of the movie drags it way down, but the solid performances of the cast manages to make the movie bearable to sit through.Sadly, this movie was not all it could have been…

Audience Reactions

Natalie Portman’s performance was praised for its emotional depth and believability.: Viewers appreciated the film’s honest portrayal of grief, guilt, and the complexities of family relationships.

The relationship between Emilia and William resonated with many, highlighting the potential for healing and connection.: The movie showed how tough it can be to navigate blended families and cope with unexpected loss.

Overall Consensus: A thought-provoking drama with strong performances, exploring themes of grief, guilt, and forgiveness, though some found the plot overly depressing or the characters unlikeable.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “The film is based on the novel “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits” by Ayelet Waldman.”
• “Natalie Portman, who plays Emilia, attended Harvard University, which is referenced in a line where her character says ‘Harvard sucks.'”
• “The movie was initially released in 2009 under the title “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits” before being re-released as “The Other Woman” in 2011.”

🖥️ How to Watch Love and Other Impossible Pursuits?

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, also known as The Other Woman, is available for rent or purchase on various platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other digital retailers. Check your local listings for streaming options.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, you might like these similar films:

• Rabbit Hole (2010): Deals with the aftermath of a child’s death and its impact on a marriage.
• Step Mom (1998): Explores the dynamics between a woman and her stepchildren, highlighting the challenges of blended families.
• Blue Valentine (2010): Examines the disintegration of a relationship and the emotional complexities involved.

🛒 Love and Other Impossible Pursuits Related Products

• Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: A Novel: The original novel by Ayelet Waldman that inspired the movie. Dive deeper into the characters and explore the story’s themes in more detail. A gripping story of life, death, and family.
• The Opposite of Sex [Blu-ray]: Also written and directed by Don Roos. With a darker, edgier humor, the film centers on a young woman who wreaks havoc on the lives of those around her. If you like the directing style, you’ll appreciate this.
• Original Movie Soundtrack: Download MP3 versions of the movie’s evocative soundtrack. Immerse yourself in the film’s emotional atmosphere with the original score, which helps create the heavy tones of the story.
• Manhattan, New York City Travel Poster: A vintage-style travel poster featuring iconic landmarks of Manhattan, New York City, where the film is set. Captures the essence of the city’s charm and allure.

🎧 Soundtrack

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Sturm Von Kunststuffe” – performed by Jay Weigel

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Love and other impossible pursuits “No one to Love” – CREDITS

Ever wonder what that beautiful song was during the end credits of ‘Love and Other Impossible Pursuits’? Well, wonder no more! This video reveals the song, and the comments section has even more details about the artist. I found it super helpful!

✨ Rate