Joan Castleman har de sidste 40 år har hun tilsidesat sit eget talent, sine egne drømme og ambitioner for at støtte op om sin karismatiske mand Joe og hans imponerende litterære karriere. Hun har ignoreret hans utroskab, tilskrevet det hans kunst og undskyldt det med elegance og humor. De har opbygget et ægteskab udelukkende på Joes præmisser, men Joan er ved at nå sit bristepunkt.
Starring Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, and Christian Slater, this is a psychological drama about a wife of a famous writer and her place in his world, in the world of literature. After receiving the amazing news that Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) has received a nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature, the family goes on a journey to Stockholm for the ceremony. However, a serious of events make Joan (Glenn Close) question her life and work choices, feeling hurt from the memory of lost opportunities. Moreover, during all these years during which Joan has devoted herself to her family, to her successful husband, he has been cheating on her and continues to do it. Ultimately, she is heading for a nervous breakdown which bursts in the most inappropriate moment.