The Door in the Floor 2004

Set against the backdrop of an exclusive beach community on Long Island, Ted Cole, a children’s book author and artist, navigates the complexities of his strained family life with his wife Marion and their young daughter Ruth. Their home is filled with memories as the walls showcase photographs of their late teenage sons, lost tragically in a car accident. This event has plunged Marion into a deep depression, fraying the couple’s marriage, and leaving their daughter caught in the emotional crossfire. The family’s only shared tradition becomes Ruth’s daily viewing of a gallery dedicated to her deceased siblings.

The couple temporarily parts ways, with Ted and Marion shifting between their shared home and separate apartments in town. In need of help, Ted hires Eddie O’Hare as his summer assistant and driver, following a suspension of his own driver’s license due to a DUI. Initially, Eddie admires Ted, viewing him as a potential mentor. However, he quickly discovers that Ted is a self-absorbed womanizer with a chaotic approach to work, leaving Eddie to fend for himself with his time.

As events unfold, Eddie and Marion find themselves drawn to one another, a development that seems to go unnoticed by Ted, who is preoccupied with his own romantic escapades, particularly with local resident Evelyn Vaughn. This complicated web of relationships takes a turn when Ruth unexpectedly catches them in a compromising situation, leading Ted to caution Eddie that he may need to testify in a potential custody battle.

In due course, Marion decides to leave Ted, taking with her many precious photographs and negatives of their sons, save for one that is currently being reframed—a possession that leads to an injury for Ruth. In a gesture of compassion, Eddie seeks to recover this lone photograph, ensuring that Ruth retains a fragment of her brother’s memory.

In a moment of candor, Ted confides in Eddie about the tragic accident that claimed his sons’ lives, elaborating on how both he and Marion were intoxicated, which contributed to the fatalities due to their negligence in removing snow from crucial vehicle lights. He shares these painful details to help Eddie grasp the depth of Marion’s despair, though he remains bewildered by her departure, lamenting, > “What kind of mother leaves her daughter?”

The film concludes on a poignant note as Ted, during a solitary squash game, halts mid-play, gazes into the camera with a sense of resignation, then descends into the depths below, symbolizing his emotional turmoil and the burdens he carries.