The Story of Us is a 1999 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple married for 15 years.

The depiction of the marriage through a series of nonlinear flashbacks is reminiscent of Two for the Road (1967) starring Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn, while the "interview" segments featuring characters addressing the camera directly as a therapist are reminiscent of Reiner's previous film When Harry Met Sally... (1989) starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.

DETAILED PLOT

The film opens with Ben Jordan and his wife Katie doing monologues about their perspectives of marriage and their own marriage. They have been married for 15 years and have two children, Erin and Josh, a nice home and a comfortable life.

Their initially happy marriage, however, turns into a sham—a performance they deliver daily for the benefit of their children. While behind the scenes they cannot stand each other anymore.

They met while working for a comedy show, and instantly connected. Katie flashes back to moments where they argued, saying eventually they replaced the arguing with silence.

Sending their kids off to summer camp, Ben and Katie commence a trial separation, during which both try to recall what it is about the other that led them to fall in love in the first place.

They both meet with their corresponding circles of friends, each sharing about what is happening in their relationships, including intimacy, except the Jordans. Ben flashes back to a phone call with Katie, where neither is really listening to the other.

One night, after each of them have a positive flashback, they have a brief call about the kids. Another day, she calls him seeking a number and alerting him that his dry-cleaning was delivered, and he goes to the house for dinner. Both are nervous, but the dinner goes OK, so they go to their bedroom. They chat about their various marriage counselors they've seen over the years, then both feel like their corresponding parents are present. While Ben'd just like to make up, Katie says they first need to repair problems. After he says she's turned into her mother she says f--- you, storming off.

Mid-summer they go to Parents' Day at camp. Ben breaks down upon seeing them, but they maintain their composure throughout the day. Erin sneaks into their room that night. He flashes back to a year ago. Ben and Katie took a trip to Italy, which worked well until they were back home, where they fell back to old patterns.

Back home, Katie goes to a Thai cooking class recommended by a divorcé. He asks her to dinner. In the meantime, Ben goes to dinner with a couple they're friends with. After he has a meltdown, he has epiphany about her perspective. Rushing home, he finds his wife preparing dinner with the divorcè.

A bit before Ben and Katie go to pick up the kids from camp, they agree on a plan to tell the kids, starting with a nice dinner. On the way, she has a flood of events they've been through come to her, both good and bad. This time Katie cries when seeing the kids. Ben names the restaurant they'd agreed on, but she counter-proposes another. Then she rants on and on, essentially they have to take the bad with the good. And they stay together.