The wife of a British army officer falls in love with an African American G.I. in this made-for-cable World War II drama. When her unfaithful husband (Ciaran Hinds) goes off to war, small-town homemaker Maggie Leyland (
Kerry Fox) spends her time caring for her young son (Rory Jennings) and helping with the war effort. She's therefore present at a dance the locals throw for a newly arrived platoon of black soldiers from the United States. Despite Maggie's prim and proper demeanor, an unlikely friendship develops between her and Travis Holloway (Courtney B. Vance), a private who works as an army cook and dreams of actually fighting in the trenches for his country. Although the townspeople give the black G.I.'s a pleasant reception, the American brass frets about fraternization between their African-American soldiers and the local lasses. The white soldiers stationed nearby bitterly resent the competition, causing trouble for both participants in any interracial romance. Nonetheless, as the friendship between Travis and Maggie deepens, they're unable to suppress their feelings for one another. Into this clandestine relationship steps Maggie's husband, who returns unexpectedly and promptly accuses Travis of rape when he discovers the couple making love. Based on true events, The Affair was filmed by
House of Cards director Paul Seed for HBO.
Malcolm X's Leland Gantt co-stars as one of Travis' fellow soldiers who also pays dearly for a romance with a British woman. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide