Holiday for Lovers

Robert, a traditional psychologist, reluctantly agrees to Meg's four-week South American tour to keep his family together. He frets about losing control as Meg begins to assert independence and adopt new habits. The family unit is strained as the trip begins.

Upon learning that Meg intends to stay six more weeks in São Paulo, Robert travels to Brazil with Mary and Betsy to confront her changes. They hope to understand Meg's changes firsthand and steer her back toward college life. The journey marks the start of a tense family confrontation in a foreign country.

Robert arrives in São Paulo and is quickly displeased with Meg's transformation, including her smoking and bohemian circle. He misreads her closeness to Eduardo Barroso as romantic interest, even though she is actually engaged to Barroso's son, Carlos. The cultural clash highlights the gulf between Meg's independence and Robert's control.

Betsy, meanwhile, enjoys attention from members of the U.S. Air Force and falls for Sgt. Paul Gattling. The romance provides a counterpoint to Meg's unfolding relationships and the parents' worries. Betsy is buoyed by the attention but unsettles her father as well.

Carlos resists meeting Meg's parents, fearing their disapproval of his bohemian lifestyle. To prevent further interference, Robert arranges a flight itinerary that takes the family from Rio de Janeiro to Lima. The move forces Meg to face the consequences of her choices away from home.

Feeling betrayed by her father, Meg calls Carlos to say goodbye. Carlos accuses her of following in her father's path and of abandoning her own life for others. The charged moment deepens the rift between Meg and her family.

Carlos and Eduardo catch up with Meg in Lima, and they are reunited at a bullfight that becomes the emotional hinge of the trip. Paul arrives and proposes to Betsy, who declines, saying she is not ready to marry. The social whirl in Lima exposes competing pressures on each young person.

Eduardo and Carlos announce they will return to São Paulo the next day, and Robert reluctantly agrees to let Meg accompany Carlos. The plan signals a tentative reconciliation with Meg's new life in Brazil. The family dynamic remains fractured but hopeful.

After bidding Meg farewell, Robert goes to a bar, gets drunk, and falls unconscious on the street, mistaken for a member of a Spanish tour group. He wakes up to find himself on a plane bound for Madrid, setting off a cross-continental drift for the family. The surreal misadventure strips away the veneer of parental certainty.

The plane continues on to Madrid, but Robert is soon dropped off in Trinidad, far from his planned destination. He phones Meg from Trinidad to offer his blessing as she and Carlos prepare to leave Lima. The moment bridges the gulf between his fear and her autonomy.

From Trinidad, Robert phones Meg to offer sincere blessing for her to marry Carlos, but Meg reveals she no longer loves him. The emotional turning point reshapes Meg's path and frees her from Carlos's influence. It also reveals how far the family has drifted from its original plans.

Betsy asks Robert for permission to wed Paul, and he concedes that she is old enough to decide her own life. He affirms her independence, and Betsy and Paul become officially engaged.