The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: Chapter 45 Summary & Analysis

While Evelyn shoots Three A.M. with Don, Luisa, Celia, and Harry take turns watching Connor. Evelyn observes Don putting real effort into his role, and she can tell that the movie is going to be a meaningful one for audiences. She begins to give up time with Connor and Celia in order to fit in with Max’s changing schedule. She can tell Celia regrets encouraging her to do Three A.M., but she remains supportive, even when Evelyn keeps cancelling plans with her.

One day toward the end of the shoot, Max knocks on Evelyn’s dressing room door to convince her that the love scene, which she and Don are shooting next week, needs something extra. She tells him that she’s agreed to show her breasts, something she’s never done before, but he says the scene needs to demonstrate her character’s truly passionate desire. His idea is to show the character reaching orgasm. It feels scandalous to Evelyn, who’s used to the socially acceptable idea that women have sex for intimacy, not pleasure. She loves the idea of portraying a woman’s sexual desire, and her excitement drives her to agree on the spot, though she knows she should discuss it with Celia first. Instead of telling Celia about the plan that evening, she avoids the subject.

Evelyn shoots the sex scene with Don after downing two shots of bourbon. During the scene, she recalls the sensation of feeling sexual desire for the first time and tries to focus on depicting that freedom for the women in the audience. It’s the most passionate performance she ever gives, but afterward, she rushes to her dressing room and cries about her dishonesty to Celia. 

Evelyn walks the 50 blocks home to give herself time to think. She buys flowers on her way, and calls Harry to ask him to take Connor for the night. When she gets home, she gives Celia the flowers and asks to talk to her. She tells her that she and Max have discussed the sex scene being more graphic than expected. Celia says she understands the character’s need to be pleasured and wants Evelyn to play the role as she wants to. Still, though she tries to accept the necessity of Evelyn making the scene look real, she isn’t comfortable with it. She tells Evelyn she’ll do whatever she can to make it up to her.

Evelyn tells Celia she already filmed the scene. She begs Celia to forgive her, but Celia interrupts her groveling by saying that she can’t tolerate getting half of Evelyn while the world gets the other half. Celia moves back to LA within a week. She doesn’t answer the phone when Evelyn calls, and a few weeks later, she files for divorce from John. Evelyn feels that Celia is divorcing her by divorcing John. She gets John to track Celia down at a hotel and flies to see her, pounding at her hotel door while the other hotel guests notice her. When Celia opens the door, Evelyn begs for her forgiveness, but Celia says Evelyn will never be able to put love ahead of fame or her career. Evelyn flies back to New York and cries as if Celia has died.