The letter - Spoiler Alert

I'm surprised no one has mentioned, what I think is, a huge and obvious plot hole in this movie - the letter. I love the movie but the letter bothered and distracted me. I thought it was handled very badly in the script.

I realize the filmmakers wanted to show Maida's deceit thus making divorce and infidelity acceptable but it backfired. The existence of the letter makes most of the events in the movie unnecessary. Alec and Julie never had to go through all that Maida put them through.

Even after she destroyed the letter; Alec could have still relied on it to force the divorce. If she tried to deny it, Alec could have gotten the guy's mother to substantiate its existence.

1. Wouldn't the letter have been enough to get a divorce in those days?

2. Perhaps he didn't want a scandal or he didn't want to be seen as a fool but wouldn't that have been better than living a drab, loveless, and hopeless life? He lost interest in working and seemed to have even given up on life.

3. You'd think Alec would have shared the letter with his parents so they'd understand why he had withdrawn from his marriage. I have to assume it would have kept them from siding with Maida in trying to keep their marriage together. Besides, Maida was a selfish, greedy, and mean person. Who's to say she wasn't a threat to Alec and his parents' lives? What was the point of keeping the letter from the parents?

4. Giving the letter to Maida; which allowed her to destroy it, was the worst move. By then he had already met Julie and started to see a future for himself with her. What are we to make of his persistence in trusting someone he knew had deceived him before?


Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]