IMDb on iPhone and iPod touch Learn more Learn more Download from the App Store
Married Life
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips
The content of this page was created directly by users and has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff.
Visit our FAQ Help to learn more

A Note Regarding Spoilers

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

Yes. Married Life is based on the 1953 novel Five Roundabouts to Heaven by English novelist John Bingham, 7th Baron Clanmorris of Newbrook. The novel was adapted for the film by screenwriter Oren Moverman and director Ira Sachs.

Those viewers who have both seen the movie and read the novel say that the novel's ending has been radically changed for the movie. The movie ending is light-hearted and shows the fate of the couples one year in the future. The novel's ending is much darker with many twists and revisits the couples twenty years in the future. Most agree that the movie and the novel tell two different stories.

Harry Allen (Chris Cooper) is married to Pat (Patricia Clarkson) and having an affair with widow Kay Nesbitt (Rachel McAdams) while Pat is having an affair with John O'Brien (David Wenham), who has a girlfriend (Anna Williams) but is not married. Harry's best friend Richard Langley (Pierce Brosnan) is also unmarried, but on Harry's recommendation, he starts seeing Kay. To make things even more complicated, Harry doesn't know that Pat is sleeping with John, nor does he know that Richard and Kay are falling in love. Neither does Pat know that Harry is sleeping with Kay.

That's I Can't Give You Anything But Love as performed by Doris Day.

Page last updated by bj_kuehl, 11 months ago
Top Contributors: bj_kuehl

r73731

Report a problem

Related Links

Plot summary Quotes Goofs
Soundtrack listing Movie connections User comments
Main details