The American Dream—Realized and Destroyed in Postwar California
Four couples set out on a quest for the American Dream in the landscape of their hearts. They discover what works and what doesn’t in their relationships in regard to their ideas of good love. Spence Ekhart puts his business—building custom houses—and his roving eye before his wife, Connie, and their two daughters. He can add anything to a house, but he cannot bring trust to his own home. Young architect Paul Cope discovers his sexuality while learning life’s most important lessons, all the while avoiding meaningful and healthy relationships as he begins his career. When he meets Ruth, he finds fulfillment and how to share it. Easygoing, with a good heart, and committed to his wife and son, Frank Densmore deals with loss and guilt. The world tries to destroy him and his wife, but as long as they have each other, nothing can tear them apart. Dreams, denial, and deception drive the Cortezes closer and apart as they face a debilitating injury. When Esmerelda discovers the right course with her husband, the outcome of a choice she has made intercedes drastically. Her husband is wrought with humiliation and injured self-pride until he realizes what it takes to be a man. There is hope and promise in the young, who demonstrate that good love comes naturally and innocently to those who allow it.
