Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice

Bob amp Carol amp Ted amp Alice is a 1969 comedydrama film directed by Paul Mazursky. It stars Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliott Gould, and Dyan Cannon. The screenplay was written by Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker, who also produced the film. The original music score was composed by Quincy Jones, and featured Jackie DeShannon performing Burt Bacharach and Hal Davids What the World Needs Now Is Love and Sarah Vaughan performing I know that my Redeemer liveth from Part III of Handels Messiah. The cinematography for the film was by Charles Lang.

After a weekend of emotional honesty at an Esalenstyle retreat, Los Angeles sophisticates Bob and Carol Sanders played by Robert Culp and Natalie Wood return to their life determined to embrace complete openness. They share their enthusiasm and excitement over their newfound philosophy with their more conservative friends Ted and Alice Henderson Elliott Gould and Dyan Cannon, though their friends remain doubtful. Soon after, Bob, a filmmaker, has an affair with a young, blonde production assistant on a film shoot in San Francisco. He admits this to Carol after arriving home, describing the event as a purely physical act, not an emotional one. To Bobs surprise, Carol is completely accepting of this. Later, Carol gleefully reveals the affair to Ted and Alice as they are leaving a dinner party. Alice is particularly disturbed both by Bobs infidelity, as well as Carols candor, becoming physically ill on the drive home. She and Ted have a hard time coping with the news in bed later that evening. However, as time passes, they grow to accept that Bob and Carol really are fine with the affair. Later, Ted admits to Bob that he was tempted to have an affair once, but never went through with it Bob tells Ted he should, rationalizing Youve got the guilt anyway. Dont waste it.During another visit to San Francisco, Bob decides to skip a second encounter with the blonde woman, and instead returns home a day earlier than expected. When he arrives, he finds that Carol is having an affair of her own, with her tennis instructor. Although initially outraged, Bob quickly realizes that, like his own affair, the encounter was purely physical. Bob settles down, and even shares a drink and conversation with the tennis instructor. ........

Source: Wikipedia