Splitsville

In the final act Splitsville pulls all of the tangled relationships together at Russ’s birthday party. Paul and Julie, whose “open marriage” had already collapsed, finally make love in a bedroom upstairs, only to be caught by Carey wandering the house. At the same time Julie discovers that Carey and Ashley have also slipped into an intimate moment, and when Ashley, still convinced she still loves Carey, blurts out a proposal, the party erupts into chaos. A small fire breaks out, and Paul heroically throws himself into the flames to rescue the guests, a last‑ditch act that seems to cement his lingering devotion to Julie.

After the party the story jumps forward about a year. Carey and Ashley, having finally admitted their feelings for each other, are now married and have welcomed a son, stepping into the responsible adulthood they both wanted. Julie and Paul, though no longer a couple, remain linked by a volatile attraction; they occasionally share a night together but mostly stay apart, their former beach house converted into an Airbnb where all four of them end up staying together for a brief, comic reunion. Their interactions are light‑hearted and childish—fighting over a stolen jet ski, laughing as the men bicker—showing that the group has settled into a uneasy, yet affectionate, friendship.

Meanwhile, Paul serves time for the financial fraud that destroyed his business, and Julie signs divorce papers that he never signs until he finally accepts that she has moved on. The film closes on the sense that each character has found a new equilibrium: Carey and Ashley are building a family, Julie is free to explore life beyond Paul, and Paul, though still haunted by his love for Julie, is learning to let go while remaining part of the extended, bittersweet circle that began with a broken marriage.

Last Updated: September 19, 2025 at 06:56