Mabel Longhetti, desperate and lonely, is married to a Los Angeles municipal construction worker, Nick. Increasingly unstable, especially in the company of others, she craves happiness, but her extremely volatile behavior convinces Nick that she poses a danger to their family and decides to commit her to an institution for six months. Alone with a trio of kids to raise on his own, he awaits her return, which holds more than a few surprises.

本片描寫丈夫理查在外面和妓女調情，妻子瑪麗婭卻和流浪漢同床共宿，當妻子的姦情被丈夫發覺後，理查痛?妻子，而瑪麗婭則向他聲明他們的關係徹底結束。這是一部現實主義的影片，影片突出地表現了男人之間無法瞭解，但又需要得到別人的瞭解這一社會性的矛盾。約翰．卡薩維茲在導演和表演兩個方面都儘量發揮了他的才華。影片上映後，受到評倫界和觀眾的好評，並被提名競爭奧斯卡最佳編劇、最佳男配角和最佳女配角的金像獎。