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In 1905 sisters Vanessa and Virginia Stephen, having attended their father's funeral, are introduced by their brother Thoby to his friends, including art critic Clive Bell, economist Maynard Keynes, writer Lytton Strachey and the young artist Duncan Grant, who praises Vanessa's paintings. The sisters, however, hoping to carve out their own careers, dismiss all of them as likely husbands. Clive nonetheless pursues Vanessa, proposing marriage, which she puts off until Thoby dies, a fact which Virginia sees as a betrayal, though Vanessa discovers that Clive wants theirs to be an open marriage. Duncan, meanwhile, maintains sexual relationships with both Lytton and Maynard.
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Virginia marries publisher Leonard Woolf but finds him mother-dominated and a reluctant sexual partner. She channels her energies instead into writing a book but this becomes an obsession, impinging upon her health and she attempts suicide. With her own marriage floundering Vanessa takes her children to live in the Sussex countryside as the Great War breaks out. Duncan accompanies them with his bi-sexual lover David 'Bunny' Garnett who have avoided the draft. Vanessa is obviously aware of Duncan's sexual leanings but is in love with him and together they produce a child, Angelica, born as the war ends.
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In 1937 the sisters and their families meet up at the house Vanessa shares with Duncan before Duncan's lover George departs for America and Vanessa is unable to stop her idealistic son Julian from going to Spain to drive ambulances for the International Brigade. Before he goes he bids Vanessa tell Angelica - now seeing the recently widowed, bi-sexual David Garnett - that Duncan is her father but Vanessa holds back until she learns of Julian's death. As the Second World War breaks out Virginia, despite the mental instability which will lead to her suicide, helps Vanessa and Angelica reconcile and, after a show of strength at her sister's funeral, Vanessa returns to encourage Duncan, aided also by Angelica, to paint his latest piece.
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