Genre: Drama
Director: Kogonada
Writer: Alex Conn
Producer: John Malone
Cast: Bill Hader, Alex Wolff, Jeremy Irons, Connie Britton, Judi Dench, Glenn Close, Hugh Laurie, Mae Whitman
Plot: Low quality digital video tapes show family gatherings hosted by the energetic and charming Uncle Steve (Hugh Laurie). When the footage ends, we see a man hanging from the rafters of his small apartment. A young boy named Alex sits in front of his Mom (Connie Britton) and Dad (Jeremy Irons). They give him the bad news that Uncle Steve has passed away. The young boy runs into his room and cries into his pillow. Alex’s Dad comes enters the room and warmly hugs Alex, assuring him that Uncle Steve will be looking down on the family from Heaven now. Alex closes his eyes to remember his uncle. We see flashes of Steve dragging 6-year-old Alex into a bar with him. We see another memory flash, this time of Steve offering to take Alex to the movies and spiking his soda with whiskey while Alex pretends not to notice.
Several years later when Alex (Alex Wolff) is in high school, he sits down with his mother. She tells him that she has a confession to make. She says that she and Alex’s Dad have been lying about how Uncle Steve died and that it was really a suicide. Alex is stunned silent.
Through narration, teenaged Alex takes us through a slideshow of the history of his father’s family. Alex’s Dad and Uncle Steve were born in England. Their own father developed skin cancer working in Australia that disfigured the right side of his face, resulting in him wearing a facial mask that looked like something out of The Phantom of the Opera. Eventually, both Alex’s Dad and Uncle Steve both moved to the United States where Alex’s Dad became a successful stocker broker in the city, while Steve worked odd jobs in videography, often crashing with Alex’s family.
Alex’s Mom tells Alex that Steve had been depressed for years. She had suggested he seek some professional help, but Steve always refused. Alex asks her why they kept it secret, and she says that they were worried that Alex would take it poorly and part of her didn’t want to taint Alex’s memory of his beloved uncle. Alex’s Mom calls Alex’s Dad at work and lets him know that she told Alex about Steve’s suicide. Alex’s Dad is furious that she would tell Alex about something that serious. He then yells that he is too busy at work to deal with a conversation like this and throws his phone down at the floor. Alex sits on his bed and closes his eyes. He pictures a time when he was little. Uncle Steve took him to a music festival but got drunk and ditched Alex to hit on a group of women.
At school, Alex arrives for the meeting of the school film club. While the club are throwing around ideas for a school film, Alex breaks down crying in front of the group. When they ask him what’s wrong, he confides in them that he just found out that his uncle killed himself. After the club session, the club’s teacher supervisor suggests Alex try something like stand-up comedy to voice his troubles in a cathartic manner.
When Alex gets home, he goes to his room and lights up a joint. Alex’s Dad enters the room and asks to talk to Alex. He asks Alex to not mention to others that Uncle Steve killed himself since it is a family matter, and especially not tell his grandmother when she visits for Christmas. Alex nods his head. Alex’s Dad gives Alex a hug and then takes his marijuana from him. Alex’s Mom then enters the room and asks Alex if he wants to talk about the situation anymore. Alex asks if Uncle Steve was always drunk. Alex’s Mom smiles and says that Steve would say he drank an appropriate amount for an Englishman.
When Christmas arrives, Alex’s family is visited by his Grandmother Maureen (Judi Dench) from England. When Maureen sees Alex writing joke ideas in his notebook, Maureen chastises him for not doing something more manly. Alex’s mom looks up like she is about to defend Alex but doesn’t. Maureen then begins laughing, but this makes Alex angry. He yells at her that Uncle Steve killed himself and no one in this family wants to accept it. Maureen looks to her son, Alex’s Dad, and angrily tells him that he needs to teach Alex to be more respectful and to not speak lies about the dead. Alex’s Dad sternly tells Alex that he needs to apologize to his grandmother. Instead, Alex storms off and writes in his joke book some more.
SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE
Now an adult, Alex (Bill Hader) lives across the country in California working as a stand-up comedian. He smiles and waves to the crowd as he finishes his set, but as soon as he is backstage the smile goes away, replaced by a blank expression. Meanwhile, Maureen can no longer take care of herself due to her age and declining health, so she moves to the United States to allow Alex’s Dad to take better care of her. Alex’s Mom suggests they find a nice assisted living facility for her to live in, but Alex’s Dad refuses and insists that his mother live with them.
Alex is on the top terrace of a shopping mall. He leans over the railing and stares down at the floor two stories below. Suddenly, Alex is taken out of his trance by the sound of his phone. He sees that the call is from his dad. He hesitates but decides to answer it. Alex’s Dad quickly tells Alex that Maureen has died, and Alex needs to come home for the memorial service.
When Alex arrives back in suburban New York, he finds several relatives he doesn’t even know from his father’s side of the family have come from England for the memorial, which Alex’s Dad has insisted on holding in the United States due to his work schedule. Alex is clearly uncomfortable around these almost strangers, but gets excited when Aunt Julie (Glenn Close), from his Mom’s side of the family, arrives. Aunt Julie asks Alex how the comedy is going, and he tells her that it’s going pretty well. Alex reveals to her that he even managed to book a gig in the city that weekend, mostly to pay for his travel expenses, and invites her to come. Alex’s Dad hears this invitation and admonishes Alex for working on the weekend of his grandmother’s memorial. Alex is frustrated with being around his Dad and announces to the family that he is going to be staying at a hotel in the city rather than stay with the family.
The next night, Alex gets out on stage at the comedy club and sees Aunt Julie in the audience and smiles. His smile diminishes though when he sees the rest of his family in the crowd, including his Dad. Alex jokingly talks about how uptight his British grandmother was and can see the look of anger on his Dad’s face. After the set, Alex’s Dad yells at him for being so disrespectful toward the memory of Maureen, the night before her funeral no less.
At the funeral, Alex gives a very heartfelt eulogy about Maureen. After the funeral, Alex’s Dad tells Alex that Maureen would have liked his words. Alex’s Dad then suggests that Alex find a respectable career as he felt embarrassed seeing his own son tell jokes about his dead grandmother on stage. Alex says that he does not want to have some boring office job on Wall Street. His dad even suggests he go back to film. Alex says that he is never going to make his Dad proud, so he’s done even trying at this point and really all those nice words were just to make him happy. . Alex announces that he is going to get on the next plane back to Los Angeles. He gives his Mom and Aunt Julie hugs and heads on his way.
Back in Los Angeles, Alex arrives at a restaurant for a blind date. Not long later his date, Tara (Mae Whitman), arrives. They hit it off quickly based on their mutual desire to move past difficult upbringings. She tells him that she is a graphic novelist, which he finds to be fascinating. After the date, the two share a passionate kiss.
At a party celebrating the release of Tara’s latest graphic novel, Alex gets down on one knee and proposes to Tara. Even though they haven’t been together that long, Tara decides to accept Alex’s proposal. The two are drinking champagne to celebrate at the party when Alex notices an incoming phone call from his Dad. Alex excuses himself and goes outside to answer the call. Alex tells his Dad that he just got engaged so he’d like to go back to celebrating rather than hear his latest criticisms. Alex’s Dad congratulates Alex on the pending nuptials and comments that he would like to be a part of the wedding and suggests they get married in New York. Alex simply says he must go and hangs up the phone.
Alex and Tara are in bed together that night. Alex vents about how frustrating he finds his Dad’s behavior. Tara suggests that Alex write down his feelings and try to make something out of them rather than just holding onto them. They turn out the lights to go to bed when Alex’s phone starts going off again. He answers it and talks to his Mom. She tells him that Alex’s Dad just left for the airport to go to California to see him. Alex tells his Mom that he doesn’t really want to see Dad. Alex’s Mom pleads with him to just have lunch with him or something since all Alex’s Dad seems to want to talk about recently is the difficult relationship he has with Alex.
Alex meets his Dad for lunch the next day, but Alex clearly doesn’t want to be there. After an awkward silence Alex asks his Dad about Uncle Steve’s drinking problem. Alex’s Dad is taken aback by the question and answers that Steve always drank, it’s just what he did, but he never thought it would cause Alex any grief. Alex then tells his Dad about the time Uncle Steve ditched him at a music festival when he was a little kid to get drunk with a group of women. Alex’s Dad insists that he never knew about such an event. At the end of the lunch, Alex’s Dad goes to give Alex a hug. Alex holds out his hand for a handshake instead. This clearly hurts Alex’s Dad, but he shakes his son’s hand regardless.
When Alex arrives home, Tara asks him how the lunch went. Alex says it did not go great, but that his relationship with his Dad just is what it is at this point. Tara tells Alex that he has some good news. Alex asks what it is, and Tara reveals that she is pregnant. Alex is stunned. He smiles and gives Tara a hug. As the hug goes one, Alex’s smile gradually changes to a look of nervousness.
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