All Night Long

George Dupler is demoted after a temper tantrum at work, which included throwing a chair out of his boss Ralph Shuster's window. He is reassigned to the midnight shift as the manager of an all-night pharmacy/convenience store. The demotion marks a turning point that pushes him into a new routine and sets up later tensions at home.

Freddie, George's 18 year old son, begins an affair with Cheryl Gibbons, an older married woman who is also Freddie's fourth cousin. Cheryl is married to the volatile Bobby, complicating family loyalties. The affair unfolds secretly as Freddie and Cheryl pursue their relationship.

During his nightly shift, George meets Cheryl at the store and the chemistry between them becomes obvious. Cheryl begins showing interest in him despite her marriage, and a dangerous attraction forms. The encounter foreshadows the conflict to come for both families.

Cheryl invites George to see the paint job Freddie did in her bedroom, and the two stand on the brink of an intimate moment. They are interrupted by Freddie's arrival, forcing them to retreat and leaving Cheryl to decide how to tell Freddie about the affair. The moment deepens the cover up and the fear of discovery.

Cheryl decides to tell Freddie about the affair with his father. The revelation shocks Freddie and shakes the foundation of the family, introducing the possibility of exposure and consequence. The disclosure shifts the dynamic from lurid secrecy to open conflict.

Freddie confronts George, attempting to fight him as tensions flare between father and son. The confrontation exposes the rift within the family and concretizes the crisis in their relationships. The moment heightens the sense that the family is breaking apart.

Helen, George's wife, learns of the affair and demands a divorce. George agrees to the divorce, signaling a major change in the family structure. The house becomes a place of reckoning as loyalties are tested.

George quits his job and leases a loft to pursue his dream of becoming an inventor. The move marks a dramatic shift toward personal ambition and independence. It foreshadows a new life away from the conventional family dynamic.

At an anniversary party, George discovers that Bobby knows about the affair. He privately escorts Cheryl away from the party, leaving Bobby behind. Cheryl loves him but thinks he is too good for her, highlighting the emotional complexity.

Cheryl goes to the fire station to talk to Bobby, who yells at her and seems ready to hit her. The fire alarm sounds and all the firefighters leave, revealing that George had reported a nonexistent fire. The incident demonstrates George's willingness to take drastic steps to control the situation.

Cheryl moves into George's place, signaling a new domestic arrangement. Freddie accepts the situation and helps her move in, showing that the rift between father and son has softened into reconciliation. The house fills with new tensions and fragile harmony.

Freddie accepts the new reality and supports the evolving relationship between George and Cheryl. The trio settles into a complicated but functional arrangement as Freddie helps with the move and remains part of the household. The story ends with a bittersweet sense of reconciliation amid desire and risk.