Erica (Jill Clayburgh), is unmarried only temporarily in that her successful, wealthy husband of seventeen years has just left her for a girl he met while buying a shirt in Bloomingdale's. The film shows Erica coming to terms with the break-up while revising her opinions of herself, redefining that self in its own right rather than as an extension of somebody else's personality, and finally going out with another man. Erica refuses to drop everything for Saul (Alan Bates), an abstract expressionist painter, simply out of love for him because he expects her to. It is not so much loneliness that is her problem, and the problems that men, flitting around this newly "available" woman like moths round a flame, bring to her sense of independence.

Director Cameo: [Paul Mazursky] attempting to place an order in a restaurant.

[first lines]

[Martin and Erica are jogging along the river]


Martin:
Jesus Christ! Look at this - my sneaker's ruined!


Erica:
They're only thirty-five dollars.

[Erica takes Martin's shoe and cleans it off for him]


Martin:
Fucking city's turning into one big pile of DOG SHIT!

[shouting at passing traffic]


Martin:
Come on out and take a crap on me - everybody else is. Fuck.

[Martin lights a cigarette]


Erica:
...been jogging for 2 1/2 miles - you're giving yourself lung cancer.


Martin:
I'll tell you something Erica - the longer I'm married to you the more you sound like my mother.


Erica:
Clean your own sneaker.

[throws shoe at Martin]


Martin:
I think you wanted me to step in it.


Erica:
[laughing] You're going crazy Martin.


Martin:
I am?


Erica:
[laughing] Yes.

[Martin tosses his shoe over his shoulder into the river. Erica jogs away, and Martin jogs after]

Written by Johnny Green and E.Y. Harburg
Performed by Billie Holiday