A domestic drama exploring how fading passion and external attraction test a long-term marriage and family stability.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Established Foundations
The story opens in Normandy, 1962, introducing Mina, Georges, and their son Tommy. Their fifteen-year marriage provides a stable but routine backdrop for daily life.
Key Events
Normandy 1962 Setting — Establishes the time and place for the family's life. Characters: Mina, Georges, TommyLocation: Normandy
Fifteen Year Marriage — Highlights the long duration of Mina and Georges union. Characters: Mina, GeorgesLocation: Normandy
Tommy Birth — The couple welcomes their son, forming a complete family unit. Characters: Mina, Georges, TommyLocation: Normandy
Erosion of Passion
Over time, the initial romantic spark between Mina and Georges completely fades. Financial and emotional strains begin to weigh heavily on the household.
Key Events
Tommy Birth — The couple welcomes their son, forming a complete family unit. Characters: Mina, Georges, TommyLocation: Normandy
Passion Fades — The initial romantic spark between the spouses completely dies. Characters: Mina, GeorgesLocation: Home
Georges Unemployment — Georges faces financial instability due to lack of work. Characters: GeorgesLocation: Normandy
External Temptation
Mina crosses paths with a handsome bridge-building engineer. This encounter introduces a new romantic possibility that disrupts the stagnant marital dynamic.
Key Events
Georges Unemployment — Georges faces financial instability due to lack of work. Characters: GeorgesLocation: Normandy
Tommy Adolescence — Tommy navigates his teenage years amid family tension. Characters: TommyLocation: Town
Financial Strain — Economic pressures compound the emotional distance in the marriage. Characters: Mina, Georges, TommyLocation: Home
Tommy First Romance — Tommy experiences his own initial romantic feelings. Characters: TommyLocation: Town
Engineer Introduction — Mina encounters a handsome bridge-building professional. Characters: MinaLocation: Bridge Site
Emotional Reckoning
Mina falls deeply for the engineer, triggering a profound internal conflict. The family faces a critical juncture as loyalties and affections are tested.
Key Events
Engineer Introduction — Mina encounters a handsome bridge-building professional. Characters: MinaLocation: Bridge Site
Mina New Attraction — Mina develops strong romantic feelings for the new engineer. Characters: MinaLocation: Bridge Site
Emotional Conflict — Mina becomes torn between her husband and new interest. Characters: Mina, Georges, TommyLocation: Home
Family Crisis Trigger — The shifting dynamics threaten to collapse the family structure. Characters: Mina, Georges, TommyLocation: Normandy
Story Breakdown
Marital Foundation — Establishes the long-term union and initial stability of Mina and Georges.
Normandy Setting — 1962 timeframe and location grounding the story.
Fifteen Year Bond — Highlights the duration and history of the marriage.
Domestic Dynamics — Focuses on the family unit and daily life pressures.
Tommy Adolescence — The son navigates teenage years and first romance.
Financial Pressure — Georges unemployment creates economic strain.
Emotional Erosion — Tracks the gradual decline of romantic passion.
Passion Fading — Initial love transforms into emotional distance.
Routine Stagnation — Daily life becomes predictable and unfulfilling.
External Catalyst — Introduces a new character who disrupts the status quo.
Engineer Introduction — Mina meets a handsome bridge-building professional.
Attraction Spark — Mina develops immediate romantic interest.
Internal Conflict — Explores Mina's psychological struggle between two paths.
Loyalty Test — Mina weighs commitment against new desire.
Emotional Torn — Protagonist faces deep personal dilemma.
Family Crisis — The culmination of tensions threatening the household.
Marital Collapse — The marriage faces potential breakdown.
Future Uncertainty — Characters confront unknown life directions.
Mina is a movie buff with a husband, Georges, who's out of work, and a 15-year-old son, Tommy. While Mina works part-time as a domestic for Claire Daboval, the family is terribly short on money, so when Georges is offered construction work on a massive bridge project, he immediately accepts, even though the job site is far away. One day, while taking in a matinee screening of West Side Story, Mina meets a man named Matthias, an engineer associated with the bridge project. It's love at first sight for the both of them, and while Mina has no desire to hurt Georges, who is a good and decent man, she has found another good and decent man whom she loves even more. Tommy, on the other hand, has to deal with this crisis in his parents' marriage while he's sorting out his own infatuation with Ms. Daboval's daughter, Lisbeth.
