marriage upscale new york city couple child falls apart wife wants it took lot courage walk door neighbor tells us busy distracted husband takes motherly responsibilities grows closer son soon wife returns highly manipulative picture give us realistic familial unit with young justin henry certainly resembling product marriage dustin hoffman meryl streep dynamics intriguing involving director robert benton keeps pace popping lots cleverness marvelous classical music canny editing surefire bits humor streeps character designed cold selfcentered witch ready feel lot benton probably wanted painted terms black white good bad hoffman learning hard wife getting second chance good parent film never falters preconceived path fine acting nearly saves it im sure benton steering film final act closing scene awfully abrupt  