Two key periods in the respective professional lives of Bob and Gwen are told. The first is in the late 1970s. With dancing roles fewer and farther between, Gwen demonstrates with a professional decision how tied she is to Bob, much to Ron's chagrin. With the names changed, Bob is in production on a movie loosely or not so loosely depicting his life - what would become
All That Jazz (1979) - which may hit a little too close to home, not only with Bob himself, but with Ann and Nicole, who Bob is considering hiring to play "their" characters. The added stress in this situation stems from the fact that Bob and Ann have now split romantically, and Nicole is struggling with trying to find her place in her parents' respective lives. The second is the early 1980s. Bob is suffering what is considered his first film failure in
Star 80 (1983) since his first film,
Sweet Charity (1969). But another project brings his and Gwen's professional collaboration full circle, it which highlights the sweet spot in their lives together.
—Huggo
