“To tell you the truth, we're not together anymore.”
Por qué es buena
A marriage ends in one flat sentence at a birthday party.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
To tell you the truth, I'm not with the company anymore.
00:00 / 02:46
00:00 / 02:46
Rain's Birthday Party in a Blackout, Explained
Husbands and Wives · 1992
Capítulo 15 de 15 · 2'46"
A birthday party is interrupted by a hurricane and a blackout, and by candlelight Gabe admits he and his wife are no longer together. Then he gives Rain the gift he has been hiding under his jacket all night, afraid people would "get the wrong idea." She loves it, and asks for a birthday kiss.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:06–1:44
The Power Goes Out at Rain's Birthday
39s - 1:51–2:05
❝ Monólogo · 4 frases The gift he over-explains
The more he swears it is not a pass, the more the music box sounds like one.
14s
Rain's Birthday Party in a Blackout, explained
What happens
At Rain's twenty-first birthday party, a hurricane knocks the power out and the guests move by candlelight. Gabe confesses that he and his wife are no longer together, then gives Rain a gift he has kept hidden under his jacket all night. She calls it beautiful and asks him for a birthday kiss.
What's really going on
The scene lets a storm do the work of a confession. The hurricane and the blackout strip the party down to candlelight, and in that softer light Gabe says two things he could not say in a brightly lit room: that his marriage is over and that he has a gift for Rain he has been hiding. The joke about the gift — "It could be misconstrued" — is also the truth about the whole evening: he is afraid of how his attention will look. Rain keeps it playful, admiring the gift and then asking for what she wants. The scene's real subject is the gap between what people say and what they mean, which the storm makes briefly visible. "To tell you the truth, we're not together anymore" lands as both an admission and an opening.
Key lines & what they mean
- “To tell you the truth, we're not together anymore.”
- Gabe's plain admission at the party that his marriage to Judy has ended, offered as a confidence to Rain.
- “Oh, it's very fitting. I was born during a hurricane.”
- A coincidence turned into a line: the storm outside matches the day she was born, and she enjoys the drama of it.
- “Oh, this is just my luck on my own birthday.”
- Self-mocking complaint when the power fails: the one night that should be hers is the night everything goes wrong.
- “Happy birthday. I've been carrying this around all night.”
- Gabe's way of presenting the gift: he has held it since the party began, which says how long he has been waiting for the right moment.
Theme
- Romance — A birthday gift and a requested kiss make the tension between Gabe and Rain explicit, right after he admits his marriage is over.
- Marriage — Gabe's quiet admission that he and his wife are no longer together hangs over the party and changes what the gift means.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel1/4
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“Oh, it's very fitting. I was born during a hurricane.”
Por qué es buena
Weather and birth align; the storm outside matches the one in the story.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
It's very fitting; I was named after a storm.
“Oh, this is just my luck on my own birthday.”
Por qué es buena
Sarcasm plus bad timing: the birthday makes the luck worse.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
Of course it rains, just my luck on my day off.
“Happy birthday. I've been carrying this around all night.”
Por qué es buena
The gift is an aside; 'carrying this around all night' says everything about his nerves.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
I've been carrying this around all day, hoping you'd show up.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ The gift he over-explains
Happy birthday. I've been carrying this around all night. I didn't want to give it to you in the other room because I thought that, you know, it might... people might think it was funny or something. It could be misconstrued, so I've been hiding it under my jacket for...
The more he swears it is not a pass, the more the music box sounds like one.
Ideas clave
Lo que te llevas- 'to tell you the truth' carries more than its dictionary gloss.
- 'get the wrong idea' changes the pressure of the reply.
- The surrounding lines set the social temperature.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does Gabe hide the gift under his jacket?
He is afraid people at the party will read too much into it. He says it could be misconstrued, so he waits until they are alone in the candlelight.
What does Rain ask for at the end?
She asks for a birthday kiss, which turns the gift-giving into something more personal. It is the scene's way of naming the attraction that has been building between them.
Why does Rain say the storm is fitting?
Because she was born during a hurricane, so the weather matches her birthday. She likes the coincidence, which fits her taste for drama.
Why does Gabe tell Rain his marriage is over?
The blackout and candlelight give him cover to say it quietly. The confession also redefines the gift: it is not just a present but a signal that he is available.
Why does the party keep talking about the weather?
The storm is the evening's backdrop and keeps intruding: it causes the blackout, threatens the drive home, and gives everyone something safe to talk about while the real subjects stay unspoken.