LOVE AND MRS. SARGENT

Living in a self made world and strengthened by her self delusions, Mrs. Sheila Sargent is 40ish, smart, attractive, witty, sincere, rich and generous, and the nationally popular author of a crying pillow column where her advice is slavishly followed. Belligerent Peter Johnson, more than ready to disapprove of her, comes to her Lake Forest home for a cover story on her for Worldwide deekly, a publication of small repute. Her charm and intelligence whittle away the chips on his shoulder-land him in bed with her. But he finds his first impressions correct for he watches her treatment of her son Dick whose bad first novel Sheila is trying to powerpush into recognition, is sympathetic towards her daughter, Allison's, determination to rebel against an affluent Coming-Out, and has proof positive that her public pratings do not tally with her private performance. Both children walk out on her, her aging secretary, whom she has insulted, also leaves and Sheila is incredulous when Peter goes too. About to carry on her dream world with lies, she reverses, refuses the Mother of the Year Award and faces the truth. A thorough job of mom-stabbing this should be sure of a feminine appraisal.