TIME OFF FROM GOOD BEHAVIOR

Midlife crises strike two marriage partners simultaneously, resulting in a more-amusing-than-average romantic comedy by the author of The Dieter (1988). Asher Rose's kids are grown and off on their own; his Chicago- based soup business has been sold for $20 million; and now, after 40 years of supporting a family by selling soup, the long-awaited leisure life can begin—except that wife Sarah has just thrown herself into her first full-time career, designing costumes for movies, and refuses to quit. While Asher chafes at the bit, longing to spend his fortune by visiting all the exotic locales he's dreamed of, Sarah works 18-hour days to clothe gaggles of self- obsessed movie actors, care for her flamboyant but ailing mother, and worry about Asher, whose workaholic character begins to crumble when he finds himself at home with nothing to do. To get Asher away from daytime TV and out of her hair, Sarah, who did her own traveling after high school, insists Asher go off to see the world on his own. Promising to catch up with him as soon as her work permits, she bravely urges Asher to sow his wild oats in the meantime—this will be a separate vacation with no marital strings attached. Dazed but fascinated, Asher obeys, taking his first faltering steps into the jet-set life while Sarah braves midnight shoots, emergency fittings, and the unexpected allure of a younger man. Soon enough, both partners find that their fantasy lives are sorely lacking without each other's company—and, to the delight of all those who have mooched off the Roses for decades past, forget about their long-cherished dreams in their rush to be together again. Generous, madcap—and heartwarming.