Life’s an Itch 2012

Roger, Rossi Morreale, a thirty-something father of two, stands at a crossroads where creativity, career, and love all feel up for renegotiation. In the seventh year of his marriage, his wife Jen Wright, Andrea Bogart, their two kids, and Roger’s mother-in-law head to Hawaii for a vacation, leaving him behind to steady the ship and chase a deadline: finishing the score for his big-break movie by week’s end. The day begins with a chaotic wake-up call from his kids, including Alex Wright, Dartanian Sloan, and Sedona, as Jen arranges something surprising—a birthday cake for their son Alex—before dropping the bomb that her old yoga teacher will stay in the guest cottage for a week.

Enter Gillian Gracin, Ali Cobrin, the yoga instructor who is anything but ordinary. Gillian arrives with a calm confidence and an easygoing openness that unsettles Roger from the start. She moves with a natural grace during her backyard yoga routine, and her nurturing, guru-like presence complicates Roger’s already fragile focus. Gillian’s allure is not just physical; it’s the combination of her free spirit and the sense that she’s inviting Roger to rethink what he truly wants, even as he tries to resist the pull.

The film unfolds over seven days, each one shaping the tension between two thrown-together lives. As the days pass, trust and shared experience between Roger and Gillian intensify, and the situation becomes a delicate balancing act between marital loyalty and personal longing. The neighborhood’s inquisitive heart—embodied by Ann Marie, who keeps crossing their path on walks with her little dog—adds a layer of social scrutiny that keeps Roger’s every move in check. Yet the humor and sensuality of Gillian’s chakra tutorial—one of the film’s more memorable moments—keep the mood buoyant even as the stakes rise.

With each passing day, Roger’s inner life begins to fray. He questions the viability of his marriage, the road to his artistic achievement, and the choices that brought him to this moment of vulnerability. By the seventh day, the strain has become almost unbearable, and the movie carefully tracks his attempt to hold on to what matters most while facing a personal truth he had long avoided. The night before his family returns, Gillian finds Roger in a deeply fragile state and responds in a way that feels inevitable but charged with consequence. The morning after arrives with a sudden jolt: the whole family returns a full 12 hours earlier than expected, only to stumble upon Roger asleep on the couch next to Gillian.

The film closes with a lingering question rather than a definitive answer: will Roger finish the music and salvage his marriage, or will the week’s unsettling revelations redefine his life forever? In its balance of comedy, candor, and quiet dramatic momentum, the story invites viewers to reflect on what it means to pursue art, love, and honesty when those worlds collide under the same roof.