100 Mile Rule (2002)

Introduction & Setting
"100 Mile Rule" is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Brent Huff and written by Drew Pillsbury. It mostly revolves around three middle-aged guys who escape their suburban routine to embark on an organization trip to Los Angeles. The so-called "100 Mile Rule" refers to an expected standard where cheating doesn't count if it occurs more than 100 miles from home.

Main Characters & Their Encounters
The main characters of the film are Bobby Davis (played by Jake Weber), a married sales manager, Jerry (David Thornton), a forward-going corporate man, and Howard (Michael McKean), an old-school fuddy-duddy. The trio attend a business convention in Los Angeles where they come across Monica (Maria Bello), a smart, interesting blonde who winds up involving them in a hazardous situation.

Bobby, who appears to be at first holier-than-thou (denying the guideline's credibility), ends up getting drunk one night and comes across Monica at a bar. He winds up having an affair with her, but the next early morning he understands the gravity of his mistake and wants to clear things up with Monica. Unfortunately for him, Monica turns out to be a twisted female who blackmails him into offering her money to keep the affair a secret.

Bobby's Troubles
The problem starts when Monica demands $60,000 as 'hush cash' to keep the affair under wraps. Bobby's attempts to gather the money without revealing his extramarital relations offers much of the film's drama and humor. His desperate attempts to keep everything under control take a sour turn when he shares his bad luck with his friends Howard and Jerry.

Unforeseen Turn of Events
In a twist of occasions, Monica is found dead, and Bobby ends up being involved in a possible murder case. Meanwhile, his partner is methodically piecing together his extramarital relations. An unsuspecting Bobby is unnerved when the occurrences unfold on similar lines. The climax of the film pivots around Bobby's battle to show his innocence while fixing up with the effects of his spontaneous actions.

Conclusion & Final Message
In spite of being presented as a comedy, the 100 Mile Rule offers some significant life lessons relating to fidelity and the effects of actions. After making it through the ordeal, it's apparent that Bobby has discovered his lesson, which stands as the last ethical of the motion picture for the audience too.

Towards completion of the film, Bobby winds up confessing his deeds to his other half and is taken into the cops's custody for Monica's murder examination. Bobby's confession helps clear his name from the murder suspicion however leaves his individual life in ruins. He is forced to consider the damage he has actually done to his individual life due to one night's mistake.

In conclusion, "100 Mile Rule" is a humor-laden drama that indulges in its absurdity while providing some severe life lessons about fidelity, relationship, and the spiraling effect of lies. Although it is focused around the so-called '100 Mile Rule', the film systematically unveils the effects of indulging in such a guideline, hence critiquing and knocking it at the same time.

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