Grown-ups

Dick and Mandy move into their new council-owned home and begin settling into married life. They quickly learn they live next door to Ralph and Christine, whose orderly, earnest marriage contrasts with their own. A fundamental disagreement over whether to have children surfaces early in their new chapter.

Mandy’s older sister Gloria starts dropping by often, bringing bustle and unsolicited advice. Dick grows increasingly irritated by the constant interruptions and intrusions. The tension foreshadows the clashes that will come from close family proximity.

Gloria arrives while Sharon and Mandy are out shopping. Dick, trying to watch Grandstand, loses his temper and throws Gloria out. She flees to the Butchers' house and locks herself in the toilet, escalating the crisis.

Christine talks Gloria down, assuring her that Dick has gone and helping her down the stairs. Dick attempts to drag Gloria out, but Ralph steps in to stop him. The scene ends with Dick leaving in fury and Mandy storming out after Christine slaps her in the chaos.

Ralph and Christine soothe Gloria with a cup of tea and let her nap on the sofa. Christine then goes next door to speak with Mandy and Dick to calm things down and arrange Gloria's return to her mother. A fragile peace settles over the households, though the undercurrents remain.

Mandy and Sharon take Gloria back to her mum's, hiring a taxi and arguing on the way. The attempt to restore order marks a quiet, tense ending to the day's upheaval.

That evening, Dick and Mandy decide to try for a baby after all, signaling a shift toward family-building as a path to unity. The decision follows the earlier conflicts and a renewed sense of direction.

At the Butchers' house, Christine angrily tells Ralph she also wants to have a sex life and a family. His pleas seem to fall on deaf ears as he keeps reading, highlighting a growing disconnect between them.

Some months later, around Christmas, Dick, Mandy, and Gloria have reconciled. Mandy is heavily pregnant, and Gloria appears to have a boyfriend, suggesting a fragile but hopeful balance in the household.

Gloria leaves to go to a party, hinting at ongoing changes in her life. Dick jokes that the boyfriend might not turn up, mixing humor with lingering uncertainty about the new arrangements.

As Christmas approaches, the household steadies itself around the expectation of a baby. The dynamic with Gloria and the new romance adds complexity, but there is a sense of growing family life taking shape.

The film closes with the impression that life will continue beyond Christmas, with a baby on the way and evolving relationships guiding the next chapter. The uncertain but hopeful mood underpins the final scenes.