Scattered around the Heath are seven couples that range in both age and stages of their relationships. The opening couple (Holly Aird and Andrew Lincoln) are fairly comfortable with each other, but Jamie (Lincoln) notices a lady near them who is reading a book and exposing a bit too much of her undergarments. Molly (Aird) confronts her husband and the couple eventually goes over to talk to the relaxing bookworm, Sophie (Eglantine Rembauville), who seems to be a bit more than simply flirtatious.
Other couples include Billy (Ewan McGregor) and Brian (Douglas Hodge), a gay couple at a men's only section of the park discussing whether or not they should adopt a child. Then there is Iris (Eileen Atkins) and Eddie (Benjamin Whitrow), who have both been visiting the same bench for some 50 years, just on different days. On this fateful day, Eddie accidentally shows up on Wednesday instead of his typical Thursday. As it turns out, Iris isn't just some random woman, the two were in love many years ago and they have both been visiting this same bench in order to remember their lost love.
Mark Strong and Polly Walker play a most unusual couple that, while it is obvious they are very close and know each other real well, seem to be in more of a business arrangement than a loving relationship, while Pete (Adrian Lester) and Sara (Catherine Tate) are exchanging signed divorce papers.
The last story follows a blind date between Gerry (Hugh Bonneville) and Julia (Gina McKee). This particular story seems to capture the very awkward feelings that are apparent in most blind (or first) dates.
What is great about this movie is that since it all takes place in the same park, there are several characters that overlap stories. Not anything major, mind you, but you will see a character from one arc appear in the background of another, and typically one of the members of the couple will notice the individual from one of the other stories. For instance, when Pete is taking his little girl around the park (he apparently has custody of her that afternoon), they accidentally stroll too close to the men's only section, and seeing the little girl sparks the conversation about children between Billy and Brian. I have to admit, I always enjoy story development that follows this style, as in multiple stories interwoven together and loosely connected, and Scenes of a Sexual Nature pulls it off quite well. While I enjoyed the film and recommend it as a rental for fans of Love Actually, it isn't necessarily a must buy.
