THE WAITING ROOM

Anna (Anne-Marie Duff)is bringing up her daughter single-handedly after separating from Toby (Adrian Bower), and rather unwisely has started a carnal liaison with George, unemployed house-husband to her best friend, Jem (Zoe Telford), a manic over-achiever. In another part of Balham, easygoing Stephen (Ralf Little) works as a male nurse at a retirement home, where he's particularly devoted to one dying patent, Helen (Phyllida Law). Stephen also looks after Roger (Frank Finlay), an absent-minded oldie who goes every afternoon to the train station, purportedly to meet a wife who never arrives. One day, in the station's waiting room, Stephen and Anna are accidentally brought together by Roger. Both listen patiently to the old man's ramblings -- but afterward, in a nicely underplayed sequence, realize they could have just met the partner of their dreams. Their fateful meeting acts as a catalyst for them to examine and challenge what's going on in their different relationships, and make hard but positive decisions for themselves. If they can change their lives maybe they can meet again.