A once-contented wife struggles to maintain her dignity when her husband abandons her for a younger woman in longtime television director Christopher Menaul's adaptation of Stevie Davies' acclaimed novel. For years, Jess (Brenda Blethlyn) and her husband, Jacob (Kevin Whately), shared a loving relationship in a scenic house by the river. Lovingly caring for Jacob's elder relatives who share the house with the couple, Jess is happy in her modest life until Jacob goes out for a drink one night and never returns. When Jess gets news that Jacob has left her for a younger woman, her heartbreak is compounded by her sense of duty as she attempts to come to terms with her new life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide