In the city of Montreal, corporate climber Jeffrey Byron (Jonny Lee Miller), is about to close another lucrative business deal. Despite his youth (early 20's), his keen business savvy reaps a hefty salary that pays comfortably for his most carefully plotted passion- himself. At this time in his life, everything is, according to Jeffrey, "working quite well on many levels."

Jeffrey's wife, Marianne Byron (Lara Flynn Boyle), feels that "nothing is working." Not only does she need to find a handyman for minor repairs around their ultra-designed apartment, but also she has a burning desire to have a baby, a desire that does not work into Jeffrey's plans. Their attempts to discuss it often degenerates into yelling matches. Frustrated by this marital stalemate, Marianne goes about tracking her fertility cycle while Jeffrey tracks the stock market.

Across town, Lucky "Fix-it" Mann (Nick Nolte), a repair contractor, arrives home. Lucky's a straightforward, easy-going guy who has clear insights into human nature, especially with his principal clientele- lonely housewives seeking to have a man around the house. Lucky finds his wife, Phyllis Mann (Julie Christie), a former B-movie actress in a nostalgic haze, watching tapes of her old films. Many years ago Phyllis had an extra-marital tryst, a powerful incident that nearly destroyed their marriage. Lucky has been guilty of improprieties too, but he a is always ready to break down the long-standing barrier between him and his wife. Phyllis won't give in. She allows Lucky to fool around with other women but resists attempts to bring romance back into their marriage. "The hardest part is finding out too late that none of it lasts," she tells him, as if this is the price they must pay for their transgressions. Their marriage is the kind of union that only stray cats could produce: one rife with infidelity yet based on strong attachment.

When Marianne telephones Lucky for repairs at her apartment, his "if I can't fix-it-it-ain't-broken" air of assurance takes her by surprise. Unlike her indifferent husband Jeffrey, Lucky's eagerness to communicate and his attention to her yearnings churns up long-neglected feelings. Their open-hearted dialogue progresses into an affair... and for their betrayed spouses, suspicions are raised. Separately, both Phyllis and Jeffrey track the unfaithful pair to the Ritz Hotel bar, discovering not the cheaters, but each other. They flirt over a bottle of champagne, each unaware of the other's true identity...

When two married couples- an older one with a painful past, and a younger with an uncertain future- comfort each other and themselves, they reside in... Afterglow... a comedy of tears.

"AFTERGLOW" is Alan Rudolph's 15th feature film and was produced by Robert Altman.