The Heartbreak Kid

Lenny Cantrow, a superficially shallow sporting goods salesman in New York, faces an ultimatum when his girlfriend Lila declares she will remain chaste until marriage. Panicking at the prospect of commitment, he hastily agrees to marry her in a traditional Jewish ceremony. Their impulsive union sends the newlyweds off toward a Miami Beach honeymoon.

The couple heads to Miami Beach for their honeymoon, a trip that Lenny approaches with mixed enthusiasm and misgivings. Lila's openness about romance contrasts with Lenny's discomfort and evasive behavior. This sets the stage for Lenny's wandering affections to surface.

In Miami, Lila suffers a severe sunburn and is quarantined to their hotel room. While she recovers, Lenny begins a series of contrived schemes to rendezvous with Kelly Corcoran, a vacationing college student. He fabricates stories to explain his disappearances to Lila.

Lenny meets Kelly Corcoran during the Florida trip and tells her she is the woman he has been waiting for, insisting that he just timed things wrong. He swears he is unhappy in his current marriage and hints at a future with her. Kelly, young and amused, treats his declarations as a joke rather than a promise.

Over three days, Lenny continues secret meetings with Kelly and audaciously inserts himself into her family vacation. He scripts explanations for his absences and grows bolder in proclaiming his intent to leave Lila for Kelly. The situation grows increasingly absurd as he acts against his own stated loyalties.

Lenny finally lays his cards on the table in front of Kelly's parents, explaining his awkward marital situation and his plan to end the marriage with Lila to pursue Kelly. He asks for their understanding, attempting to legitimize his pursuit. The parents react with varying disbelief and concern.

Kelly remains mostly indifferent and amused by Lenny's increasingly desperate behavior. She doesn't fully commit to him, enjoying the attention more than the seriousness of his claims. Lenny's forwardness continues to complicate their dynamic.

Lenny takes Lila to an upscale seafood restaurant to confess that the marriage is over and that he wants to set her free. Lila reacts with deep sorrow, convulsing as she processes the abrupt change in their relationship. The moment marks a turning point as Lenny plans a new life with Kelly.

Lenny visits a divorce lawyer's office, signing away his assets to start a new life with Kelly. He resolves to abandon his old commitments and pursue the promised future with her. The formalization of the breakup undercuts any lingering feelings of stability.

Lenny travels to Kelly's parents' home in Minnesota, discovering that he still has a rocky standing with Kelly's father and that Kelly is dating a college football star. He refuses to be deterred, seeking a path to win over the family and Kelly herself. The visit intensifies the conflict, as parental resistance tests his resolve.

In a private car, Kelly confesses she didn't take him seriously in Miami but found him attractive. She hints that she would let his courtship continue, though she remains cautious. This exchange shifts the power balance and keeps Lenny hopeful.

Kelly's father offers a bribe of $25,000 to keep Lenny away, but he refuses the money and stays determined. After the confrontation, Lenny and Kelly are married in a Christian church. The scene marks a formal commitment beyond the earlier, more frivolous pursuit.

At the wedding reception, Lenny awkwardly participates in business-talk with several guests, offering clichéd ideas about agriculture and tear gas. He continues to bore those around him, including a pair of younger children who walk away. He hums the Miami duet they shared, hinting at his habitual loss of interest once he achieves a goal.

The final moments show Lenny alone, still outwardly confident but already signaling a pattern of moving on after obtaining what he wants. The humming tune foreshadows his recurring impulse to abandon relationships when the objective is completed. The cycle suggests a cynical view of love and commitment.