College bound Eddie arrives at the Hampton house of successful children's book writer Ted (Bridges) expecting employment as a research assistant, but finds a vain, self-absorbed, philandering boozer, who treats him as a skivvy, and, even more to his surprise, is the reaction of Ted's wife (Basinger) to the discovery that Eddie fantasises about her. Gradually he finds himself drawn into the machinations of this family and uncovers its tragic past, the death of two sons in a car accident and the resultant lingering, festering, guilt. Bridges is awesome, wandering about in shapeless clothes (or naked); whisky glass in hand, ruthlessly exploiting those around him and Basinger gives a polished performance as his put upon and ambivalent wife. The DVD includes an excellent interview with John Irving about the adaptation of his tragi-comic novel 'A Widow for a Year'.