Plot summary

On the verge of falling apart, Mabel Longhetti, a warm, spontaneous, beautiful Los Angeles housewife and inconsistent mother-of-three, tries too hard to be the perfect wife, a perfect mother, and the perfect lover. But, little by little, crushed under the weight of the fruitless pursuit of happiness, vulnerable Mabel sinks into depression. And, more and more, as her concerned construction foreman husband, Nick, becomes convinced that Mabel's increasingly erratic and volatile behaviour poses a threat to their family, institutionalisation seems like the only solution. Indeed, love and life can be painful. Can Mabel prepare herself for a daunting fresh start and a new chapter in her life?—Nick Riganas