Petulia

In San Francisco, six months into her marriage to David, Petulia attends a benefit for victims of traffic accidents. There she meets Dr. Archie Bollen, who is divorcing his wife Polo. She feels a growing romantic pull after Archie performs an operation on Oliver, a Mexican boy she has adopted. This encounter sets the stage for a dangerous, forbidden attraction.

That same night, Petulia and Archie go upstairs inside the Hilton Hotel for a one-night stand. The encounter is intense but Petulia reconsiders and Archie escorts her to a taxi afterward. The moment marks the start of a pattern of secrecy and longing in their relationship.

The next morning, Petulia arrives at Archie's apartment carrying a tuba, catching him off guard. Archie remains nonchalant and leaves for work, while Petulia waits outside. When he returns, she is still there and boards a bus home; Archie makes a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to retrieve the unusual gift.

The next day, Polo visits Archie's apartment to say she is remarrying, which stirs anger in Archie because he had been considering reconciliation. David is not present to corroborate, and the disagreement underscores the fragile boundaries between the characters. The relationship web tightens as loyalties and feelings become conflicted.

During an afternoon picnic in the park, Archie is with his girlfriend May. Petulia begins stalking Archie when he arrives at May's apartment, and again when she is in his work office. The persistent pursuit demonstrates the depth of Petulia's obsession and the volatility of the situation.

Archie finally yields to Petulia's romantic pursuit and they spend the night together at Archie's apartment. The liaison breaks the balance of his life, pulling him further from Polo and his professional routine. The next day, the consequences of the night start to ripple through their social circles.

After Archie tours Alcatraz Island with his children, he returns to find Petulia severely beaten. An ambulance takes her to the hospital, where Archie and coworker Barney watch a Polaroid slide show with Barney's wife Wilma. The juxtaposition of danger and domestic life deepens the emotional stakes of their affair.

While Archie and Polo's friend group continues their routines, Archie attends a roller derby with Polo and their father, as David's father visits Petulia in recovery. Petulia is discharged from the hospital, signaling a return to some semblance of normal life. The family dynamics remain tangled as everyone navigates recovery.

A year passes and Archie reencounters Petulia on an afternoon trip with his son. When he returns to his apartment, he finds it retrofitted with an artificial greenhouse, a visible sign of changes in his life. The two characters circle around each other as past choices echo in the present.

Meanwhile, Petulia and David are on a sailboat cruise, their marriage strained and unresolved. This voyage underscores the emotional distance between them and the life Petulia leads apart from Archie. The separation deepens as Archie contemplates what remains of their affair.

Return from the cruise leads Archie to find Petulia in a maternity ward, signaling a new chapter. They reflect on their affair and Archie kisses her goodbye, acknowledging the limits of their bond. Petulia is wheeled into the delivery room and calls for Archie, signaling the final pull of their complicated past into the present.