Hot Spell

Alma Duval begins planning a 45th birthday celebration for her husband Jack, hoping to reclaim some happiness in their marriage. She remains in denial about Jack's affair with Ruby, despite her children's attempts to warn her. The plan foreshadows the mounting tension that will unfold over the day.

During the birthday dinner, Jack taunts Buddy about his business ideas and dares him to show backbone. Alma's homemade cake is left untouched, signaling the undercurrent of rupture in the family. The moment seeds the conflicts that will erupt later.

After dinner, Jack takes his teen son Billy out to play pool and drink, using the excursion to model how a man should behave. He confides that he isn't content with his life, which makes Billy cry, and dismisses the emotion by telling him to stop crying and act like a man. The scene deepens the film's exploration of gender expectations.

Alma shares a portion of the birthday cake with her neighbour Fan. Fan encourages Alma to smoke and drink casually to impress Jack, revealing how people adjust to keep a husband’s attention. Alma vacillates between affection and complicity as the evening unfolds.

While Jack dallies with Ruby, his daughter Virginia is told by her boyfriend Wyatt that he cannot marry her due to wealth and position. The scene highlights the social pressures that complicate relationships in the family. Wyatt’s confession signals a broader theme of status affecting intimate choices.

Throughout the film, Alma clings to the belief that moving the family back to New Paris will fix everything. Jack evasively prevaricates about the move, preferring to remember the past as it really was. The tension between nostalgia and reality drives many of the choices.

Alma finally discovers Jack's affair with Ruby and slaps him in a decisive confrontation. Jack decides to leave Alma and move to Florida, severing their marriage. The moment marks a turning point toward the couple’s dissolution.

Jack makes up his mind to leave for Florida, attempting to begin anew away from Alma. He prepares for the move as Ruby’s influence grows stronger. The decision sets the stage for the fateful road trip.

On the road to Florida, Ruby pressures Jack to drive too quickly and dangerously. Just before reaching a construction detour sign, the car crashes, and both Jack and Ruby are killed. Jack yells Alma's pet name Mumma as they crash.

Alma and her children return to New Paris to bury Jack, confronting the town’s changes and their altered lives. Alma realizes there is no longer happiness to be found there. The funeral catalyzes a broader reckoning about what the past can and cannot offer.

Back home, Alma still refuses to plan a holiday, arguing there’ll be nobody to look after the children. The scene shows her stubborn denial slowly softening as her children watch. The family begins to sense that the old comforts are no longer available.

A quiet pause with her children forces Alma to acknowledge that even the idea of a holiday—and perhaps New Paris—belongs to the past. She starts to accept that happiness must be found in a different present. The ending leaves the family open to rebuilding in a changed world.