François, a handsome young
joiner working for his uncle, lives a comfortable and happy life in the Parisian suburb of
Fontenay-aux-Roses with his pretty wife, Thérèse, who is a dressmaker, and their two young children, Gisou and Pierrot. The family loves going on outings to the woods outside town. Although deeply happy with his life and devoted to his wife and children, one summer François falls for Émilie, an attractive single woman who works at the post office, has a flat of her own, and closely resembles Thérèse. During a picnic in the woods, after putting the children down for a nap, Thérèse asks François why he has seemed particularly happy lately. He explains that his love for her and the children remains unchanged, but has been enhanced by the new happiness he has found with Émilie over the past month. Initially confused and upset, Thérèse soon claims to accept this, and they make love. François falls asleep, but, upon waking, finds Thérèse gone. Desperately searching, he discovers her drowned body, which anglers have retrieved from a small nearby lake. After Thérèse's funeral, François, his children, his brother's family, and his uncle and aunt go to the
Loire for an extended vacation. When they return, François seeks out Émilie, and, before long, she moves into his house and begins to look after him and the children, taking over all of the tasks formerly performed by Thérèse. By fall, François once again has a happy family, and continues to enjoy outings to the woods. ==Cast==