[1] It stars Jason Robards, Julie Harris, Don Francks, James Eckhouse, Patricia Hamilton and Deborah Grover.
[2][3][4] John Tanner (Robards), a retired architect who is recently widowed, decides to look for a platonic lady companion for the Christmas period at his lakeside cabin (as he always had with his deceased wife), instead of flying out west to see his son and his family.
Before lunch, they take a walk in the woods then return to the cabin where after eating, he tells her that he used to play the tiple at Christmas.
In silence he takes her hand and leads her back upstairs where they look wistfully at each other before going to their separate rooms.
She had agreed to meet John only for the $500 agency fee – business was poor at that time of year and they needed the money.