Ed Hemsler (John Lithgow) spends his life preparing for a disaster that may never come. Ronnie Meisner (Blythe Danner) spends her life shopping for things she may never use. In a small town somewhere in America, these two people will try to find love while trying not to get lost in each other’s stuff.

With noisy construction going on where she lives, philosophy professor Marion Post (Gena Rowlands) rents a room in another building to complete her new book in peace. But now she’s next to a therapist’s office and can overhear the patients - among them an expectant mother (Mia Farrow) whose problems strike an unexpected chord with Marion. The top-flight supporting cast includes Gene Hackman, Blythe Danner, Ian Holm and, in his final film, John Houseman. This Bergman-esque drama (shot by Sven Nykvist) is among Allen’s most absorbing.