That isn't to say the screenplay, and the movie made from it, are not worthy. They are: This is an intelligent, quirky human story that finds room not only for the remarkable expanse of Julia Roberts' character but also for several other well-developed characters, not least the two key men in her life, and even a patient lover, whose patience is put to a much more severe test than his loving.
Roberts plays Grace King Bichon, daughter of the wealthy horseman Wyly King (Robert Duvall), and wife of the philandering Eddie Bichon (Dennis Quaid), of whom Grace's sister, Emma Rae, observes, "You married a guy whose nickname in college was Hound Dog. What did you expect was going to happen?" Emma Rae, played by Kyra Sedgwick in a scene-stealing performance, gets one of the movie's biggest laughs with a knee to Eddie's groin: not usually a very funny move, but she handles it with perfect timing and a certain elan.
When Grace discovers Eddie has been cheating on her, she leaves home and spends much time hanging out with Emma Rae, whose analysis of men and how they should be treated owes a great deal to having been raised on a horse farm.
Nobody in the family has moved very far from the farm. Wyly is a patriarch who hires his family members to keep them close; Grace runs the office and keeps the books, and tries to make peace when Wyly makes decisions that go against the better judgment of his professional horse trainers.
He lives in a modestly ostentatious manor with his wife of many years, Georgia (Gena Rowlands), and they put up a united front against Grace: Yes, Eddie has "slipped," but she should forgive him for two reasons: (1) Wyly is trying to close an important deal with Eddie's dad, and (2) the whole town is talking.
It sure is, especially after Grace confronts Eddie in front of his buddies at the local bar. And even more so after she stands up at a woman's meeting and calmly reveals secrets about half of the women present.
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