In one respect there is jauntiness about their relationship, and in another, the marriage is fraught with antagonisms, and apparently a lack of sex for some time. Meg recoils at one point when Nick wants to touch her. The gesture says a lot.

But they are also out for a good time in hope of rekindling some sparks despite the underlying bitterness we discern. They are also unrealistic. After first being booked into a dingy hotel, they move and hole up in a fancy hotel even though they are too maxed out n credit cards to pay for the huge bill they run up. There is a we-might-as-well-enjoy-it attitude. They skip out on a restaurant without paying the bill.

They accidentally encounter an old friend, played by the ultra exuberant Jeff Goldblum, and at a dinner at his home, the reality begins to reveal itself. Broadbent as Nick has a scene in which he embarrasses everyone with his confession that his standing as an educator has completely unraveled. It is a very sad confessional that strips him bare, as his friend, who has been adulatory, tries to figure out how to react.