this movie be really about gabe and karen ( quaid and macdowell ) how they tackle life a a couple . the movie begin with the collapse of tom and beth ( kinnear and collette ) marriage and and proceeds to show the reason . tom and beth be no different from any other couple who eventually drift apart after year of marriage and but the real focus here be gabe and karen hand in their inevitable parting . we learn from a flashback that tom and beth be initially best friend of gabe and karen respectively . they be set up to fall for each other . the setting be perfect a beach house and a sunset and and both be in the thirty and ripe for marriage . later however and we gather the truth about each person and and why the marriage be foredoom to failure . what be impressive though and be that despite the unravelling of each person flaw and we do not despise the character . the flaw be realistic and it easy for u to find them in our friend and perhaps in ourselves . tom and beth be full of resentment and towards each other and towards gabe and karen . they have recently realize that they be not mean for each other and and they be just product of gabe and karen subconscious manipulation . they have fall into gabe and karen perfect set have their best friend fall in love with each other and live out the rest of their life together a a foursome . tom and beth even have two daughter a a foil to gabe and karen two son . the movie reveal something i have notice in many friendship . there be a dominant personality and there be a submissive one . the dominant friend have a dream of how his life should be and his submissive friend fall agreeably into the role create for him in that dream . it be like a script the dominant friend have write . he naturally write himself into the lead actor role and he proceed to create the role of support actor for his submissive friend . gabe and karen script involve grow old together a a foursome . the plot of their story have be write for four actor . unfortunately they hadn not count on tom and beth withdrawal from their role a support actor . deprive of their backboard and gabe and karen be suddenly alone and and they realize that they have no idea how to handle their encroach middle age year without their four way script beneath them . more importantly and they realize that they haven not have the need to communicate solely with each other until now and they have no idea how to do it . the end of the movie doesn not tell you if they wind up solve their problem . it just show you how they tackle it they begin to rewrite the script . however this time and there be no support actor role a fallback . they have to learn to just rely upon each other a they grow old together . my rating represent positive .