Early one morning in the summer of 1999 two weeks before her wedding day, João realises that she doesn't want to get married after all.
The preparations are under way, the invitations have been sent out, and to top it all João thinks she's pregnant.
Faced with the unexpected situation she does what she always does when she needs time to think: she drinks.
Normally she is well behaved, polite, disciplined and a good student, And used to take care of herself. Her mother died five years ago and her brothers have left homestead. The eldest, Afonso, got married and has his own family. The middle one, José Maria (not the marrying type), left to live in Cordoba because he didn't get on with his father.
Their father, Dr. João José, is a vet with political ambitions and doesn't have much time to João. To make matters worse, uncle Nini, the bachelor and undesirable great-uncle, who taught her to question all prejudice, is dying.
Well, when João drinks events tend to follow rapidly, and not always for the best.
And when things go wrong, as usual, she runs to Gabriel, the poor relation and godson of Dr. João José, the lad who grew up playing with her brothers. And who finds it hard to say no. João, who likes everything to be above board, decides to return the boat her fiancé has sent her as a wedding present. She persuades Gabriel, with relative ease, to drive her to Spain.
According to João, if you are going to Southern Spain you might as well make a slight tour and go to Cordoba. Especially as her middle brother, Zé Maria, would be delighted to see Gabriel again after all these years.
Zé Maria becomes upset, but hides it, and gets roped into the Anadalusian dry fields crossing of the sailing boat. João is in a hurry to clear things up with her fiancé, Gabriel tries to convince himself that none of it is his business, and Zé Maria cannot leave Gabriel a second time.
Cheating Notes
While on the road to return the boat her fiancé has sent to her as a wedding present, Maria João has sex with Gabriel, her father's godson (57:31, 59:15). They do it inside the boat, which is tethered to a land vehicle. Only the initial kissing is shown but we do see her tits.
At 2:58, there's a flashback scene where Maria João and Gabriel took drugs and made out/had implied sex inside a toilet room when they were young.
At the end of the film, Maria João proceeds to marry her fiancee. During her wedding reception, Gabriel kisses her on the lips while they're dancing (1:56:15). Her new husband notices it and intervenes.
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