Gray-haired furniture retailer Paul Winkelmann still has his dinner cooked and his laundry done by his mother. He spends his evenings playing Scrabble with Mama's friends and discussing the role of women in society in his carnival club. When he meets psychologist Margarete Tietze, Pussi finally begins to rebel against his dominant mother.
劳拉(朱莉娅·罗伯茨 Julia Roberts 饰)从未想到过,自己的婚姻竟然是如此的令她感到痛苦,短短3年中,丈夫马丁(帕特里克·博金 Patrick Bergin 饰)的控制欲和独占欲早已经远远超过了正常的范畴,而他的狂躁和暴力让劳拉不得不屈服于丈夫的监视和掌控之下。 在一次出海游玩的旅程中,劳拉纵身跃入了大海,熟知水性的她故意在平日里装出一副恐水的模样,就是为了这次出逃所作的准备。马丁以为不会游泳的劳拉已经葬身大海,而实际上,逃出生天的劳拉不仅在一个小镇上安了家,还结识了赖以信任的男子本(凯文·安德森 Kevin Anderson 饰)。正当劳拉的生活逐渐走上正轨之时,马丁在偶然中发现了劳拉未死的秘密,愤怒的他踏上了寻妻之路。
A Parisian museum director believes his wife has lost interest in him and so places a poisoned cigarette in the box on his desk - thus allowing chance to decide the moment of his death.