Happy Anniversary

Chris Walters returns home with a diamond brooch for Alice, hoping for a romantic interlude on their 13th wedding anniversary. The house is filled with interruptions as the children, the maid Millie, and Alice's mother Lilly all need something or have something to say. The evening quickly shifts from intimate anticipation to a string of small annoyances that foreshadow bigger tensions to come.

Two delivery men arrive with a new TV, a gift from Alice's parents, creating another obstacle to a quiet celebration. The glitter of the new television only heightens Chris's impatience and his disdain for what he sees as a corrupting distraction. The gift becomes a symbol of the mounting domestic pressure rather than a private moment of romance.

Chris openly states he hates television and resents its intrusion into family life. He argues that the TV is a pointless distraction and a corrupting influence on today’s youth, setting up the central conflict of the night. The tension with the TV gifts begins to mirror a broader clash over control and happiness in the marriage.

At work, Chris's partner Bud tries to land a new client, Jeanette Revere, a divorced woman who represents a tempting contrast to Chris's domestic concerns. The scene at the office underscores Chris's preoccupation with his marriage and his growing sense that something personal is slipping away. The meeting hints at how personal life and professional life are colliding.

During a celebration dinner, Chris reveals that he and Alice had sex a year before they wed. Lilly and Arthur are offended, convinced their daughter is being betrayed by the past, and they storm out in anger. The revelation ruptures the family’s sense of propriety and trust, fueling further resentment.

In a burst of anger, Chris kicks the screen of the new TV, breaking the moment of supposed celebration. He argues with Alice and ends up spending his anniversary night sleeping on the sofa. The domestic rift widens as the couple struggles to find a way to connect.

A fourth TV arrives as a gift from Bud, and Chris again feels overwhelmed by the constant interruptions. He promises not to cause a scene this time, but the underlying tensions remain unresolved. The cycle of gifts that feel more like irritants continues to strain the home.

When the TV is turned on, a show called Kids Kouncil airs with Debbie as a guest, and she unintentionally exposes that her parents are fighting and were intimate before marriage. The broadcast magnifies the private pain for the family, drawing the attention of everyone in the house. Chris can't take it and kicks the TV again.

The cumulative strain drives Chris to storm out of the house, retreating to clear his head. Alice and the rest of the family feel the weight of the unresolved conflict as distance grows between them. The home becomes a place of tension rather than comfort.

Lilly's quarrel with Alice's parents escalates, and Lilly even contemplates moving in with her daughter. The family dynamics become more strained as external disputes add pressure on the marriage. The house becomes a battlefield of disagreements and loyalties.

A distraught Chris wants to come home, but Alice feels neglected and begins to contemplate leaving the marriage. The situation reaches a critical point as both partners reassess their place in the family. The sense of distance signals a possible separation if reconciliation fails.

The family doctor informs Alice that she is pregnant, providing a new impetus to repair the relationship. She decides to give Chris another chance, hoping to salvage their marriage for the sake of the unborn child. A final TV arrives, this time as a gift from Chris, signaling a possible reconciliation rather than a simple rebuke.