Sleeping with Other People
愛とセックス
Storyline
The whole story, ending included.
Two sex addicts who lost their virginity to each other agree to stay platonic; the bottle-masturbation tutorial scene is the film's thesis.
In 2002, at Columbia University, Lainey causes a scene in a dormitory: she has come to lose her virginity to her teaching assistant, Matthew. Just as security is about to throw her out, a student named Jake claims her as his guest. He thinks Matthew is the most boring man alive. When Lainey realises that Jake is a virgin too, they lose their virginity to each other, and go their separate ways.
Twelve years later, Lainey breaks up with her long-term boyfriend, Sam, after telling him she has been sleeping with Matthew, now a doctor and engaged to someone else. On her therapist's advice she goes to a meeting for sex addicts, and there is Jake, who cannot stay faithful to anyone. On a single date they confess their worst habits and agree to stay friends; whenever the tension between them rises, either of them can say the safe word 'mousetrap'.
The friendship works. They tell each other everything, and friends and strangers take them for a couple. Jake learns that Lainey is going back to medical school and may move to Michigan. At a child's birthday party she meets Chris and starts seeing him, and Jake asks out his boss, Paula. One night Lainey runs into Matthew and his pregnant wife, and Jake calls Paula by Lainey's name. Afterwards the two friends spend the night together and realise they are in love. They do nothing about it, afraid of ruining what they have.
Lainey moves to Michigan, and Jake devotes himself to Paula. Two months later, at brunch, he sees Matthew and punches him in front of his wife. Paula leaves Jake when he calls Lainey 'my girl', and he is arrested. From the police station he rings Lainey and tells her he loves her and wants to try, even if they fail; she tells him she feels the same. When Matthew sues Jake and refuses every settlement, Lainey threatens to tell his wife about their affair unless he accepts. Leaving his office, she meets Jake, and they rush off to get married.
Starring
Alison Brieas Lainey Dalton
A woman who has spent years unable to break off an affair with Matthew, the teaching assistant she once meant to lose her virginity to.
Lainey Dalton’s story
Lainey meets Jake in 2002, on the night she comes to Columbia to lose her virginity to Matthew, and loses it to Jake instead. Twelve years on she confesses her long affair with Matthew and loses her boyfriend, Sam; when she goes to end it, Matthew says he is engaged, and she sleeps with him again. At a meeting for sex addicts she finds Jake, and they settle for friendship, with 'mousetrap' as their safe word. She is accepted back into medical school, dates Chris, and after meeting Matthew with his pregnant wife spends a night with Jake; neither acts, and she moves to Michigan. When Jake calls from a police station to say he loves her, she says she feels the same. She makes Matthew settle by threatening to tell his wife, and runs off with Jake to marry.
Jason Sudeikisas Jake Harper
A charming serial cheater who cannot commit to anyone, and who lost his virginity to Lainey at university.
Jake Harper’s story
Jake meets Lainey in 2002, when he saves her from campus security, and they lose their virginity to each other. Twelve years later he cannot stay faithful to anyone, and at a meeting for sex addicts he finds her again. After one date he admits he wants to sleep with her, and they settle for friendship and a safe word, 'mousetrap'. When she starts seeing Chris, he dates his boss, Paula, and calls Paula by Lainey's name. After a night with Lainey neither acts, and she leaves for Michigan. Two months later he punches Matthew at brunch, calls Lainey 'my girl' in front of Paula, who leaves him, and is arrested. From the police station he tells Lainey he loves her and wants to try, even if they fail. They run off to marry.
Adam Scottas Matthew Sobvechik
Lainey's former teaching assistant, now a doctor, who keeps sleeping with her while engaged to someone else.
Amanda Peetas Paula
Jake's boss, whom he dates in an attempt to move on from his feelings for Lainey.
Why it matters
Sleeping with Other People is a romantic comedy about two people who use sex to avoid being known. Lainey keeps going back to a man who is engaged to someone else; Jake cannot stay with anyone long enough to be disappointed, and both end up at a meeting for sex addicts. The film's premise, a friendship with a safe word, is a joke that turns serious: two people who have used sex to keep others at a distance find closeness by agreeing not to sleep together. Leslye Headland, who wrote and directed it, lets long conversations carry the story, and lets compulsion and shame sit beside the jokes rather than become them. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2015. The question it leaves is whether friendship is what finally makes love possible, or only the last place to hide from it.