- A teen reacts to her parents' divorce along with her older sister who is about to be married.
- A young lady named Judy (Dominique Dunne) begins to doubt herself and love in general as her wedding day approaches.
Told in flashbacks through the eyes of the oldest daughter, initially as a young girl (Francoise Noel). A father/husband (Dennis Weaver) becomes distant and starts spending more time away from home and family. Mom (Valerie Harper) makes notice of his fleeting affections, expressing herself openly after he gives her an "electric carving knife" for a birthday present. Soon, dad is packing his bags and VH and the girls move into a smaller place too. In short time both mom and dad are dating again, something both girls seem to take in stride until dad decides to remarry.
After the wedding Dad soon turns his time and attentions to his new family, his new wife and her young daughter. This is made apparent when a ski trip is planned and both sisters are uninvited. Fast-forward 10 years.
Judy is now planning her wedding to the good guy she's met at college. She's still full of angst over her parents split 10 years ago, Dad has "split" from wife #2, and Mom has likewise returned to single status after a heart-wrenching breakup. At a dinner party the in-laws meet for the first time. It's apparently been a few years since Mom and Dad have been in each other's company and they begin throwing barbs, at first in a passive-aggressive way and then a bit more vigorously. Judy leaves the table in tears and finally has it out with Dad.
At first Dad (who is a psychotherapist by trade) tries to find out why his daughter is acting out. Judy then unloads on him, telling him "you're the reason everything is wrong" and such things, and in general let's him know that her fears revolve around not knowing if and when her day to stop loving or being loved will come.
The final scenes are of the wedding with end credits.
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What was the official certification given to The Day the Loving Stopped (1981) in the United States?
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