Force Majeure

Outwardly, married Swedish couple Tomas and Ebba and their two adolescent offspring Vera and Harry could be the poster children for the western upper middle class and the modern nuclear family of their cultural and social standing. Currently at a French ski resort on a five day vacation largely as a respite for Tomas from work so that he can have that proper work/family balance, they are good looking, politely agree to the request from the resort staff photographer to pose for pictures, ski together, give each other their requisite alone time when they can indulge themselves with their plethora of electronic toys (although Tomas is supposed to stay off the "work" phone), keep proper hygiene diligently brushing their teeth each using their own electric toothbrush, and even cuddle together as a family on the large king sized bed in their hotel suite dozing after a long day on the slopes. Because of what they strive for as a family, Ebba just doesn't understand a woman she meets at the resort named Charlotte, who is there without her children as a respite of her own away from them, and who has a blissfully open marriage. However, the crack in Tomas and Ebba's family veneer starts to show at lunch on day two. While they dine on the outdoor patio of one of the mountaintop restaurants, an incident external to them leads to gut reactions by them all which shows Ebba how little a priority Tomas places on her and the children compared to himself and his material possessions on that gut level. While Tomas doesn't want to admit what Ebba believes based on that incident, Ebba conversely doesn't want it to affect how she feels to tear off that perfect family veneer completely, which may be difficult for her not to do also on that gut level. All the children know is that there is tension between their parents which could lead to divorce. Added into the discussion are their similarly aged divorced friend Mats and his much younger, twenty year old girlfriend, Fanni, who arrive at the resort on day three and whose thoughts on the matter are based largely on gender and generation. How they all come out the other end is partly affected by their encounter with a bus driver.