Prudence and the Pill

Five couples in London become entangled in a plan to use a birth control pill called Thenol, each trying to keep their intentions secret. The film sets up a web of secrecy around affairs, pregnancies, and the ethics of contraception. The tension is driven by the fear of exposure as they pursue secret relief from unwanted pregnancies.

Grace obtains a Thenol prescription through Huart, and Ted obtains pills from a local chemist, setting the plan in motion. The group rationalizes secrecy as they hide their contraceptive efforts from their spouses and the world. The stage is set for the misadventures that follow.

Geraldine admits her pill-switching scheme to Grace, who then informs Gerald. Motivated by curiosity and control, Gerald decides to use a version of the scheme on Prudence to obtain incriminating evidence of her affair.

Ted hides his pills in a vitamin bottle and urges Rose to take them for her health, hoping to keep his secret. Rose, anxious about pregnancy, engages in a series of pill-swapping maneuvers that escalate the deception. The situation starts to spiral as suspicions grow.

Rose, just after Gerald replaces Prudence's Thenol with aspirin, unwittingly trades Ted's Thenol for Gerald's aspirin by swapping bottles. The consequence is that Rose becomes pregnant, which exposes the fragility of their carefully calibrated scheme. The incident triggers a cascade of guilt and suspicion across the couples.

With Prudence still not pregnant, Gerald intensifies his plan to expose her relationship with Huart by tinkering with the aspirin scheme. The scheme ripples through the household as suspicions grow and secrets inch closer to revelation.

Grace works to keep her pills away from Geraldine, taking steps to thwart further pregnancies. The tension remains high as everyone watches who will be exposed next.

Prudence becomes pregnant and offers to take the blame to spare Huart's reputation, prompting a reconsideration of the alliances among the couples. Gerald reluctantly agrees to the arrangement as the social ties begin to fray.

Liz decides to leave Gerald after discovering his duplicity and reads a revealing letter she finds. Gerald then uncovers Huart's Thenol prescription; the revelations tilt the balance toward an amicable separation rather than a criminal confrontation.

Crossing paths with Liz in town confirms that she is carrying Gerald's child, pushing him to pursue an open, amicable divorce. He accepts the idea reluctantly at first, but the new development accelerates his willingness to end the marriage.

A few months later, six newborns are welcomed into the world, Rose having twins. Geraldine and Prudence are both expecting, marking a chaotic but hopeful end-stage of the pregnancy misadventures.

The couples navigate their new family situations with multiple pregnancies and a lighter tone about infidelity. The story closes on a note of renewed relationships and the reality that secrecy cannot hold against the pull of growing families.