“I don’t know who I am without him.”
synopsis
A comfortable Manhattan wife’s world collapses when her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Forced to confront her identity outside marriage, she navigates therapy, dating, independence, and self-discovery in 1970s New York.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
This was quietly radical in its time. Instead of turning the husband into a villain or staging a melodramatic breakdown, the film centers on a woman rebuilding herself emotionally and socially.
Clayburgh’s performance is raw and modern — no martyrdom, no hysteria, just complicated growth. The mayhem here is existential: Who are you when the role you built your life around disappears?
It feels like the precursor to every intelligent divorce drama that followed.
A reflective mood
A long walk afterward
Remembering that identity evolves
Absurdist's Corner
Marriage ends. Identity crisis begins. Manhattan keeps moving.
fun facts
Jill Clayburgh received an Oscar nomination for the role.
The film became a cultural touchstone for late-70s feminism.
Shot extensively on location in New York City.