Husbands and Wives Page #8

A sense of humor equal to his,|a love of sports equal to his...

...a love of music equal to his|and a love of...

...Bach and balmy climates.|In short, himself as a pretty woman.

Pepkin married and led a warm,|domestic life.

Placid, but dull.|Knapp was a swinger.

He eschewed nuptial ties|and bedded different women:

Students, housewives, nurses, actresses|a doctor, a salesgirl...

they all held Knapp between their legs.

Pepkin, from the calm of his|fidelity, envied Knapp.

Knapp, lonely beyond belief,|envied Pepkin.

What happened after the honeymoon?|Did desire grow...

...or did familiarity make partners|want other lovers?

Was the notion of|ever-deepening romance a myth...

...along with simultaneous orgasm?

The only time Rifkin and his wife|experienced one...

...was when they were granted|their divorce.

Maybe in the end, the idea was|not to expect too much out of life.

So the book was wonderful.

Entertaining,|imaginative and moving...

You don't have to say this. You|can be critical. Be honest.

You make suffering so funny.

The lost souls running around.

That's funny. I've had so much trouble|with the book.

- Has anybody else read it?|- Not exactly, you know.

I'm so thrilled you feel this way.|I can't tell you how encouraged I am.

Your feelings|about it are really...

But you are a sucker for my work.|I shouldn't get too excited.

I'm objective and, yes,|I do love the way you write.

- I had some criticisms...|- I'm sure you did.

What were they?

Nothing serious.|The whole thing was just a delight.

Really? I've had such a love-hate|relationship with this book.

- Oh my God, this can't be...|- What?

I think I left it in the cab.

You're kidding! In a taxicab?|Are you sure?

I can't believe I did this to you!|Okay, he was Indian.

You left it in an Indian's cab?

No. He was Armenian.

That was the only copy.

- I know.|- You must be joking.

- Hargopian?|- Mr. Hargopian, Swami Hargopian, what?

I was totally crushed.|I wanted to die.

This was the worst thing that happened.

- You put up a false front.|- The poor girl was wrecked.

I was trying to bail her out.

So this book was very meaningful|to you despite what you said.

- I guess so.|- And the young woman, Rain?

Her approbation was|very significant to me.

Why was her encouragement|so pleasing?

Your own wife liked it very much|and you gave her a hard time.

I don't know. There was some kind|of rapport I felt here that was...

...meaningful.

Hey! Hey!|Somebody found your envelope.

They're waiting at the house now.

It's... It's so Freudian.

What is?

The whole thing, leaving|the novel in the cab.

Don't be silly.|It could happen to anybody.

No, I think maybe it meant something.

- Like what?|- Well...

...I don't know.|Maybe I could have been threatened.

- Threatened by my book?|- Yeah.

- I'm very competitive by nature.|- That's absurd.

Why, because I'm a young female?

Don't get angry.|I'm in your corner.

- I'm your biggest fan.|- Yeah.

I just think I could have been|threatened by certain things.

Like what?

Some of the attitudes towards|women and your ideas on life.

- You told me you loved the book.|- I do. I do love it.

- What were your criticisms?|- Nothing.

Tell me your criticisms.

I was a little disappointed|with some of your attitudes.

Like what? What attitudes? With what?

The way people just|casually have affairs like that.

The book doesn't condone affairs.|I'm exaggerating for comedy.

Are our choices really between chronic|dissatisfaction and suburban drudgery?

I'm deliberately distorting it.|I'm trying to show...

...how hard it is to be married.

You have to be careful not to|trivialize things like that.

Jesus, I hope I haven't.

The lead character's|views on women...

...is so retrograde, so shallow.

What?|You told me it was a great book.

I never said great, I said it's...

...brilliant and it's alive.

We're not arguing about|whether it's brilliant or not.

Triumph of the Will was a great|movie, but you despise its ideology.

So you despise my ideas?

No, I don't despise them.|That example was...

Isn't it beneath you as a thinker...

...to allow your lead character|to waste so much energy...

...obsessing over a psychotic woman...

...that you fantasize as powerfully|sexual and inspired...

...when she was pitifully sick.

I don't need a lecture on writing|from a 20-year-old twit.

You asked to read my book,|you said you loved it...

- And I do.|- You leave it in a taxicab.

You're weeping, I'm consoling you|and you turn on me.

Okay. Well, I must have hit a nerve.

Well, yeah. You know...

I'd hate to be your boyfriend.|He must go through hell.

Well, I'm worth it.

- Any trouble finding the house?|- No, it was very easy.

Please. Step this way.

I'm so glad you found the house.

- This was so nice.|- It's fine.

I jumped in the cab and wound|up sitting on it.

That's so nice of you.|Let me give you some...

- No, it's okay.|- Really, I can't...

- I want you to stay for coffee.|- No, you're...

- I won't take no for...|- She won't.

- We'll have coffee.|- Okay, good.

- I'm sorry...|- I'm sorry, it was my fault.

It was totally...

If you don't mind my saying,|you have a beautiful daughter.

I admit it,|her argument in the cab...

...I found attractive.|It attracted me to her.

That she was not a passive,|worshipful pupil.

Something in me sensed...

...not that I'd|do anything about it...

...I had, you know,|certain daydreams about it.

A week later,|Jack and Sally reunited.

This was celebrated over dinner.

You can't just wipe out|years of closeness.

You think you can.|But the roots are there.

I think some people are just not|meant to be single.

Everybody screws up.|The question is...

...do you learn from it?

I think the true test is|how you weather a crisis.

Everyone looks great when|everything's going smoothly.

It's great. If you can be|that mature, it's great.

It's not that. You just start...

...thinking about priorities.

How long can you discuss|physical fitness and the zodiac?

And this Michael character|was no bargain.

- How was Michael?|- I don't know, he was sick.

I gave him a call and he did sound|very terrible.

I guess I really pulled the rug|out from under him.

Although his real crush is on Judy.

- Not to offend you, Gabe.|- I'm not.

I love it when someone likes Judy.

Gabe needs confirmation|of his feelings when it comes to me.

That's a terrible thing to say.

I'd watch it if I were you, Gabe.

He always talks about Judy|in hushed tones.

I think those poems you wrote|impressed him.

Here's to a good marriage.

- The best two people can hope for.|- Absolutely.

- I didn't know about the poetry.|- I didn't think you'd care.

- Well, why not?|- Because.

I'd be embarrassed|to show you my stuff.

- Why?|- You're so hard on everything.

What are you talking about?

- You're very, very judgmental.|- I like poetry.

I'm crazy about Shakespeare|and Byron and T.S. Eliot.

Well, my stuff isn't|quite that good yet.

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