Edouard is patriarch of a large family: his second wife, Jeanne, has just had a baby and finally had enough of his philandering. His eldest daughter, Dino, lives with Paul, a playwright: theirs is a passionate relationship dogged by the dissatisfactions of daily life. Another daughter Sidonie comes into adulthood in love with Jude, both are musicians, except that she has a phobia about performing in public. After Jeanne throws Edouard out, the film jumps ahead seven years to pick up the resolution of these three relationships, brought to a crisis by Edouard's sudden illness. Can Sidonie play in public, can Paul and Dino live together, will mama and papa reconcile?