Details

The action takes place in Moscow in 1976. Anatoly Yefremovich Novoseltsev, a clumsy single father of two sons, works at a statistical bureau. His boss is a strict single woman in her late 30s, Ludmila Prokofievna Kalugina, nicknamed "our frump" by her subordinates. He dreams about a promotion and a raise, but he is too timid to talk to his boss about it. His former classmate and old friend, Yuri Grigorievich Samokhvalov suggests appointing his old friend as a head of the light industry department, but Kalugina rejects the advice. Then, following Samokhvalov's advice, Novoseltsev unwillingly tries to flirt with "the Frump" at a party in Samokhvalov's apartment, but Kalugina gets very annoyed at his attempts to impress her. Eventually Novoseltsev becomes frustrated and tells Kalugina that he considers her "dry, inhuman and heartless".
The following morning Novoseltsev comes to her office to apologize, but then suddenly Kalugina bursts into tears, revealing that his accusations from the night before hurt her. They have a heart-to-heart conversation and they start getting closer and soon fall in love with each other. Kalugina, having thrown off her "protective mask" of a hard-hearted woman, becomes more aware of her femininity and surprises everyone with her new elegant clothes and charming look.© E. Braginsky; © E. Ryazanov; ©&℗ IE Vorobev V.A.; ©&℗ Publishing House Soyuz