Such Good Friends

Julie Messinger, a Manhattanite and a complacent housewife who is devoted to her two boisterous young sons, lives with her husband, Richard, a chauvinistic and self-centered magazine art director who also writes a bestselling children’s book. A routine minor surgery to remove a mole on his neck takes a dangerous turn when another surgeon accidentally nicks his artery, prompting a blood transfusion that triggers a rare allergic reaction. Although Richard momentarily seems to recover from the reaction, his liver sustains serious damage and requires immediate treatment, and one organ after another begins to fail.

As Julie tries to process the crisis, a family friend, Cal Whiting, drops a heavy revelation: his girlfriend Miranda has confessed to having an affair with Richard over the past year. Distressed by the disclosure, Julie turns to her egocentric mother for guidance but finds it impossible to discuss the infidelity. She confronts Miranda, who admits that she and Richard are deeply in love and have even talked about marriage, though she has not yet made a permanent commitment.

Julie’s emotional world starts to unravel. She visits Cal, whose attempt to seduce her ends in impotence. At the hospital, she confronts the unconscious Richard and vows she will never divorce him and even contemplates ruining his reputation. Timmy, the doctor, later reveals that he knew about Richard’s affairs—Miranda and others—keeping the truth out of loyalty to his friend. This knowledge leads Julie to lash out at Timmy, only to then yield to him in a moment of conflicted vulnerability.

Back home, Julie discovers a black book in Richard’s desk containing coded data about his numerous extra-marital affairs, many of them with her own friends. She gives the book to Cal, who passes it to Miranda to prove that she was just another conquest in Richard’s tangled private life. The next day, Richard suffers a cardiac arrest, and Julie experiences a surprising shift: she realizes she wants him to survive despite his betrayals. When Timmy informs her that Richard has died, Julie takes her two sons for a walk in Central Park, contemplating what their future now holds.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:21