The Affair 1973

Courtney Patterson is a beautiful 32-year-old songwriter who is physically disabled due to polio. Her condition has made her emotionally guarded, but when she meets Marcus Simon, a handsome older attorney, she cautiously moves toward romance. Although Courtney remains wary of intimacy, Marcus slowly wins her over. Unfortunately, her family is not supportive of their relationship, providing yet another obstacle that the couple must overcome.

A family dinner reveals tension between Mr. Patterson and Mrs. Patterson and their two children, Courtney and Jamie Patterson. Courtney’s younger brother is an aspiring artist who disdains the family fortune and lives simply with his girlfriend Jennifer.

Courtney and Marcus rent a luxury cottage and begin seeing each other regularly, finding a rare sense of comfort in their growing romance despite the social and familial pressures around them.

Just as Courtney is getting used to the softness of this romance, Marcus attends the wedding of his ex-wife and is teased by the new groom for being “inadequate.”

A jumpy Marcus calls off the relationship. Courtney makes a halfhearted attempt at suicide by slashing her wrists. Her brother looks after her, saying Marcus has been calling regularly and > “He’ll come if you want him to come.”

The film ends with the question of whether the couple will resume their relationship remaining unresolved, leaving their future together in a fragile balance of hope and hesitation.