Conversations with Friends

On a date one evening, Nick and Frances have a long conversation about their families and pasts. In the year before the two met, Nick suffered a collapsed lung while on set in California. He grew lonely and depressed in the American hospital, a state which only deepened when he returned to Ireland and learned that Melissa no longer wanted children. Melissa eventually realized the extent of his depression but could not convince him to see a therapist. Eventually, he was admitted to the psychiatric unit of a Dublin hospital. During that time, Melissa had an affair with his best friend, and when Nick found out, they decided to get divorced.

They agreed, however, to keep living together until they could figure out another arrangement, and as time passed, her affair ended, and his mental health improved. They decided to stay married after all, though they no longer had sex. At the time he met Frances, he was feeling like a burden to everyone around him, and sure that he must be mistaken when it seemed like Frances was flirting with him. The two leave their meal happy with this new level of intimacy, planning a weekend vacation together.