For Richer, for Poorer (1992) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

In a sleek, sun‑drenched suburb where marble façades and manicured lawns speak of generations of earned wealth, the world of the Katourian family feels both expansive and strangely confined. The house itself is less a home than a symbol of achievement, its polished corridors echoing with the quiet expectations of a legacy that never seems to rest. A tone of restrained elegance tinged with underlying anxiety colors every interaction, suggesting that the most valuable assets may be intangible.

Aram Katourian is the patriarch who built a retail empire from the ground up, his ambition evident in the twelve stores that bear his imprint. Though he commands respect in boardrooms and charity events, he carries a private complexity—a discreet affair with Irene that quietly gnaws at his sense of purpose. His marriage to Millie Katourian, a partner whose own aspirations once mirrored his own, has weathered the shifting sands of success, leaving a partnership that balances affection with unspoken weariness.

Their son, Michael Katourian, has grown up amid the comforts of the estate, his days marked more by leisurely indulgence than by the hustle that once defined his father. While his mother adapts by taking on modest work, Michael drifts in a haze of entitlement, his future seemingly scripted by the wealth that surrounds him. Observing this, Aram devises an unorthodox strategy: he will stage a financial collapse, hoping that the shock will jolt his son into responsibility and force a reckoning with the value of effort.

The film moves through this affluent backdrop with a bittersweet rhythm, blending moments of quiet introspection with the occasional burst of sharp humor. A chance encounter on a windy bridge with Billie, a streetwise woman whose perspective is far removed from the Katourians’ polished world, hints at the possibility that unexpected connections can illuminate hidden truths. The story invites viewers to contemplate how far one will go to reshape family dynamics and whether the pursuit of purpose can emerge from the ruins of an illusion.