Couples Retreat 2009

Dave, a Guitar Hero dealer, and Ronnie, a devoted stay-at-home mom, are just an everyday couple navigating the challenges of raising their two young children in the suburbs of Chicago. They face an array of stresses, from redecorating their home to managing their kids’ needs. Meanwhile, high school sweethearts Joey and Lucy grapple with their rocky relationship and their bright yet naïve teenage daughter, Lacey, while considering divorce once Lacey leaves for college. On another path, Jason and Cynthia, a couple fraught with anxiety from multiple failed attempts at conception, intersect with Shane, who, while not legally divorced, is dating a significantly younger woman named Trudy.

During Dave’s son’s birthday celebration, Jason and Cynthia reveal their marital troubles with a PowerPoint presentation, suggesting they might split as a last-ditch effort since they are unable to have children. They propose a couples therapy retreat named Eden, which offers a deal called the Pelican Package—at half the normal price, but only if they can recruit three other couples to join. Their pitch is adorned with stunning images of sun-soaked beaches, and they emphasize that participating in therapy is purely optional.

Despite Dave and Ronnie’s firm refusal to leave their kids behind, that night, Jason disrupts their home with the alarm to pitch the retreat again. The unexpected noise rouses the children, who overhear their parents’ conversations about not being able to attend because of them. Concerned that their parents may be on the brink of divorce, the kids secretly arrange for Grandpa Jim-Jim to babysit, enabling their parents to venture to Eden.

Upon arrival, the retreat is split into Eden West and Eden East, the former catering to couples with the motto “Stay Together” and the latter for singles with the slogan “Come Together.” Attendees from each side are prohibited from mingling.

In Eden West, the couples are introduced to their accommodations. They learn from their host, Sctanley, that mandatory couples therapy begins each day at 6 a.m. Noncompliance will be interpreted as a desire to depart, forfeiting their Eden fees but not their airfare. After an indulgent dinner filled with delectable dishes, they agree to endure a couple of hours of therapy in exchange for enjoying the resort’s other amenities.

The next morning, each couple meets a dedicated therapist, each being told they have issues, even Dave and Ronnie, who believed they were perfectly fine. They undergo unconventional therapy methods from the resort’s owner, Marcel, which includes activities like swimming with lemon sharks and engaging in yoga sessions led by a flirtatious instructor named Salvadore.

On the fourth evening, Trudy escapes to Eden East, prompting the remaining seven to traverse the grounds in search of her. After a spat between Cynthia and Jason, the group splits, with the men and women facing off against each other while unpacking the flaws in one another’s marriages.

As fate would have it, the women encounter Salvadore, who guides them to Eden East. The men stumble upon the staff lounge, where Sctanley is engrossed in Guitar Hero. After some back-and-forth, Dave challenges Sctanley to a game (keeping his production ties to the game under wraps). Ultimately, Sctanley loses and begrudgingly provides them directions to Eden East.

Upon arriving, Dave has an epiphany about the value of his relationship with Ronnie and steals away for a private moment at a serene waterfall. Simultaneously, Joey finds Lucy with Salvadore and confronts him, leading to a reunion. In a separate rendezvous, Cynthia and Jason enjoy drinks, igniting intimacy between them. Shane bumps into his ex-wife, Jennifer, who confesses her lingering feelings for him. He encourages Trudy to remain at Eden East and enjoy her single life, before departing with Jennifer. Eventually, all four couples return to the confines of Eden West, transformed by their experiences.