The Arrangement

The Arrangement

Year: 1969

Runtime: 125 mins

Language: English

Director: Elia Kazan

RomanceDramaMoving relationship storiesEnduring stories of family and marital dramaHeartbreaking and moving family drama

If your wife insists you see it together, be careful. An adman attempts to rebuild his shattered life after suffering a nervous breakdown.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Arrangement yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – The Arrangement (1969)

Trace every key event in The Arrangement (1969) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Opening suicide attempt

Wealthy ad man Eddie Anderson drives his life to the edge and tries to end it by steering his sports car under a tractor trailer. The act exposes a deep sense of despair and a belief that his life is an arrangement he rejects.

Los Angeles
2

Flashbacks reveal life and father

Across the film, memory sequences reveal Eddie's contempt for his life and for his Greek father, Sam Arness. The tension centers on Sam's expectations and Eddie's decision to Anglicize his name, go to college, and refuse the family business.

3

Return to work and insult

Eddie returns to his advertising job and publicly insults a valued tobacco client by referring to 'the big C.' The moment shows his reckless detachment from consequences and his contempt for the façade of corporate success.

Los Angeles — advertising agency
4

Plane over LA

Seeking escape, Eddie buzzes Los Angeles in a small plane, drawing attention from the authorities. The stunt highlights his craving for thrill and distance from his life.

Los Angeles
5

Photos and hospital news

Florence discovers nude photographs of Eddie with Gwen, exposing his affair. Soon after, Eddie learns that his father is hospitalized in New York, intensifying the looming family crisis.

Los Angeles; New York
6

New York fertilizes affairs and family strain

In New York, Eddie's brother and sister-in-law push to place Sam in a nursing home, even as Gwen arrives and reveals the complexity of her own life, including her baby Andy and uncertain paternity. Eddie and Gwen become lovers, adding another layer of tension to the family drama.

New York
7

Florence follows to NYC

Florence tracks Eddie to New York, pressing him to return home and help reconstruct their marriage. She dismisses his wish to care for his father, deepening their conflict.

New York
8

Sam moves to Long Island mansion; Evangelos; Gwen's offer

With doctors' help, Eddie smuggles Sam from the hospital to the family home on Long Island Sound, where Sam calls him Evangelos. Gwen proposes becoming Eddie's mistress after she marries George, while Eddie insists he will marry Gwen.

Long Island Sound, mansion
9

Anger over funding and shame

Eddie realizes he cannot provide the money for Sam's imaginary business and erupts with decades of pent-up anger, admitting he is ashamed of his father.

Long Island
10

Sam removed; Gwen and baby taken

While Eddie and Gwen are out on a boat, the family moves to remove Sam by force, and Charles takes Gwen and the baby away, severing another thread of Eddie's life.

Long Island mansion
11

Property transfer and signing

As tensions peak, Arthur arrives from L.A. and Eddie is pressed to turn over all community property to Florence. Reluctantly, he signs, using Arthur's name, surrendering control of the family's wealth.

Courtroom / family home
12

Florence's love confession and Gwen jealousy

In a private moment, Florence confesses her love and loyalty, promising to stand by Eddie, but he remains wary and laments Gwen's influence while Florence's jealousy grows.

New York
13

Arson, gunshot, and release terms

During the commitment process, it is hinted that Eddie set fire to the family home and that Charles shot him in Gwen's apartment, bridging the personal and legal crisis. The judge notes that Eddie could release himself at any time if he can prove he has a job and a home.

Courtroom and Gwen's apartment
14

Asylum life and reconciliation with father

Eddie finds some solace among new friends at the asylum, while he becomes reconciled with his dying father and tells Gwen that he loves her, suggesting a fragile hope for companionship beyond pain.

Psychiatric hospital / asylum
15

Sam's interment and closing image

The final scene centers on Sam's interment; Florence gives Gwen a wry smile and Eddie smiles gently as his father's coffin is lowered into the grave, signaling an ending rooted in complicated forgiveness.

Cemetery

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:29

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The Arrangement Summary

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The Arrangement Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in The Arrangement

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Arrangement

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