John Irving's novel, A Widow for One Year, is the springboard for a major Bridges performance as children's book author Ted Cole, who is no help to his wife (Kim Basinger) or himself in dealing with the deaths of their two sons in a car crash. Irving's story requires Bridges to reveal the film as a tragedy of death and dismemberment, a stinging comedy of bad manners, and a tale of sexual betrayal and healing. He handles them all beautifully, burning every nuance in to the memory.

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