Story Overview

Married Life centers on Harry (Chris Cooper), a middle-aged man who believes he has finally found true love with his much younger girlfriend, Kay (Rachel McAdams). Despite his passionate affair, Harry is still married to Pat (Patricia Clarkson), a devoted woman whom he fears would be utterly devastated by divorce. Convinced that sparing her emotional pain is an act of mercy, Harry begins to contemplate the unthinkable: killing his wife.

As Harry secretly searches for ways to carry out his plan, his closest friend Richard (Pierce Brosnan) becomes entangled in the situation, harboring feelings of his own for Kay. While each character pursues deeply personal desires, their lives intersect in increasingly tense and morally ambiguous ways.

The film unfolds as a darkly ironic exploration of love, obsession, and self-deception, revealing how good intentions can mask destructive impulses. As passions intensify and secrets accumulate, Married Life examines the fragile line between devotion and betrayal, and the dangerous justifications people create in the name of love.