Daddy Still Loves Us is a 2019 American supernatural psychological horror film that revolves around an adolescent boy named Marcus, who finds himself falling victim to an inner malevolence after the death of his father. The film stars Jordan Pressler, Drew Barrymore, Tim Roth, Blanche Baker, Richard Jenkins, Amanda Warren, Kathryn Hahn, Danielle Rose Russell,
Tagline
Nothing is more terrifying than losing a loved one - or so he thought.
Summary
Following the recent death of his father, 19-year-old Marcus begins to experience a complete overhaul on his once-comfortable suburban life. His mother, Lynda, is also deeply traumatized by the loss and chooses to drown her sorrows away with a self-destructive plunge into alcoholism. Marcus receives a great deal of comfort from his close circle of friends in the neighborhood, all of whom want to support and care for their friend to the best of their distinct abilities. Refusing to seek professional help or come to terms with his father's passing, Marcus starts to follow in his mother's footsteps, smothering his deep-seated anxieties under drugs and booze. What commences as a chaotic aftermath of tragedy slowly progresses into something far more sinister, as Marcus learns that neither he nor his mother are safe living in their suppressed environment. Could it be his father trying to reach out to him from beyond the veil? Or has Marcus' life-altering trauma manifested in some sort of supernatural awakening?
Plot
In a quiet suburban neighborhood, an endless row of tall trees enclose the block, ablaze with color as the changing leaves fall carelessly onto the street and blow silently along in the wind across freshly mown lawn. The road is completely silent with nary a single car driving by. The bright blue sky is illuminating a lovely middle-class home adorned with thick bushes stacked up against the side windows and a large cherry tree standing on one side of the front yard. The green grass is slathered with red juice just below the tree. On top of the fruit-coated plant are some birds chirping happily as they feast on all the cherries. 19-year-old Marcus (Jordan Pressler) is relaxing by himself on the couch in his living room, watching an old black-and-white movie on his parents' widescreen TV. As he watches the old-fashioned yet artsy production with an almost deranged keenness, in comes his mother, Lynda (Drew Barrymore), complete with her half-drank glass of chardonnay, who wanders into the living room and slides beside Marcus on the couch with the glass in one hand and her cellphone in the other. Lynda scrolls through passages on her phone looking as though something is troubling her, but all Marcus cares to do is devote his full attention to the movie. Once she lets out her final glare of disgust upon her phone business, Lynda puts down her cellular device and turns her attention to an entranced Marcus. She questions Marcus as to why he frequently indulges in such ancient works of art, but he simply brushes off her obvious contempt and maintains his eyesight on the television screen. Seeing that he doesn't want to be spoken to, Lynda scrunches her face into a silly expression and playfully forces her way into Marcus' personal space, rubbing her face against his and asking him once again why he insists on watching old movies. Unable to keep his focus on the film, Marcus can't help breaking into a giggle and gives his mother a kiss on the cheek. Lynda wraps her arms around Marcus' neck and smothers him with hugs and kisses, resting her head on his shoulder and sharing in his fascinated viewing experience. Lynda realizes the movie Marcus is watching is George Waggner's 1941 horror film, The Wolf Man, catching the scene where Lon Chaney Jr. transforms into a werewolf. Lynda grows disturbed by the grotesqueness of this pivotal moment and asks Marcus why he's so consumed by the material, to which he unapologetically replies that he empathizes with the character, able to be scared by the effect but also moved by the notion of a man losing control over his physical and mental state. Lynda takes in her son's thought but can't resist taking another sip of her drink.
Later on in the evening, the sky takes on a dark blue palette. Leaves are still blowing along in the street. A Volkswagen CC pulls up in the driveway, and upon hearing the sound of the engine all the way from the living room, Marcus shoots up from the couch and eagerly rushes to the front door where he greets his father, Paul (Tim Roth) with a warm embrace. Paul gives his son a prolonged kiss on his scalp that's buried beneath mounds of brown wavy hair as he holds him powerfully in his arms. Lynda walks into the entrance and expresses her pleasant surprise that Marcus still greets his dad with affection even though he is 19. Marcus goes into the kitchen to get ready for dinner and Lynda welcomes Paul home from work with a long-awaited French kiss. As the couple becomes lost in each other's hold, Marcus lays out three placemats on the dining room table and then distributes cutlery and plates beside each. He strolls back into the entrance hall and finds his parents still canoodling, causing him to instinctively squinch his face up.
As the three sit around the table eating their dinner, Lynda reads conspiracy theory stories on her cellphone while Paul reads irrelevant hoax articles on his. Marcus, preferring not to waste his valuable time with his family eyeing a computer screen, chows down on his mother's rotisserie chicken with relish and applauds her for perfecting the meat as she usually does every Thursday night. Absorbed in the harrowing information she's reading, Lynda complains out loud about the government slowly destroying the ozone layer with chemtrails, but Paul rolls his eyes and insists that she's getting too caught up in details that have yet to be proven accurate. Lynda refuses to accept the possibility that her knowledge on this conspiracy is false, and proclaims she witnessed countless trails being left in the sky earlier from aircrafts. Marcus chimes in that Lynda may be confusing condensation left in the sky for chemicals, but she rebuffs any counterpoints in stubborn conviction that she is spot-on with her paranoid suspicions. Marcus proceeds to calmly eat his food, trying to avoid sending his mother into a frenzy, and asks Paul about his day at work. Paul proudly announces that he sold several life insurance policies to families going through a loss, as well as offering financial planning services to his clients approaching retirement. When asked about what he did today, Marcus tells his father he started working on writing his next screenplay on his fandom movies community. Paul humorously ridicules Marcus for writing fanfiction rather than getting an actual paying job, but Lynda comes to her son's rescue and commends him for devoting his time and energy into doing what makes him happy, encouraging him to continue writing his stories. During the course of their family dinner, somebody rings the doorbell outside. Paul and Lynda stare at each other in confusion, unsure of who would be arriving at their home so late in the evening, but Marcus has a pretty good idea of who it is.
He excuses himself from the table and saunters into the entrance hall. Slowly opening the door with a bit of apprehension, Marcus discovers his circle of best friends -- Brett ( ), an emaciated, long-haired smoke fiend, his younger brother, Charlie ( ) and their black straitlaced friend, Jay ( ) -- waiting for him on his doorstep. Jay gives Marcus his signature hug and Brett reveals a case of bud light beer hidden in his backpack. Marcus greets them with a vague grin and unenthusiastically welcomes them into his home. As soon as the three step foot inside, Marcus secretly releases a frustrated sigh accompanied by an eye roll as he closes the door. Brett leads the pack upstairs toward Marcus' bedroom, but Marcus begins to feel sick with dread as he follows his friends up the steps. Staring at his closed bedroom door as though it were a warzone, Marcus recommends hanging out downstairs in case they get drunk and create a commotion. The trio turns around and heads back downstairs, and on his way toward the basement, Jay peeks into the kitchen and gives a warm greeting to Paul and Lynda with his overemphasized smile and overtly polite exterior. Marcus ushers Jay downstairs in embarrassment and informs his parents they're simply going to watch television. Lynda voices her worry to Paul that the boys are planning on drinking and smoking, but Paul calms her down and asserts that Marcus would never engage in such an activity, believing he's too smart and educated to wreak havoc on his body or give in to peer pressure. Lynda thinks she should go downstairs and make sure they're not doing anything, but Paul urges her not to embarrass Marcus by making a scene and dismisses her fear by stating "teenagers will be teenagers". Lynda pulls herself together in hope that she's being irrational and falls silent, returning to her chicken with a resounding look of unease.
Down in the basement, Brett and Charlie take swigs of their canned beer and Jay sucks long drags off his electronic cigarette while Marcus stares at them with disdain and masks his discomfort behind an emotionless visage of calm. Brett offers Marcus some of his alcohol but he uses his dismissive wave to decline, insisting that he detests the flavor and prefers to maintain control of his faculties and behavior. Charlie proclaims that Marcus should experience what it's like to get drunk at least once in his life and criticizes him for being close-minded about attempting new things, but lacking the assertiveness to defend his choices, Marcus simply shrugs his shoulders and stares down at the floor in shame. Brett praises Marcus for having the courage to say no to things he doesn't want to do and even admires his ability to have a good time without relying on toxic substances, being that he has reached a point where he feels controlled and dominated by smoking and drinking in order to feel good. Injected with a spark of self-respect based on Brett's kind words, Marcus smiles at him as he mindlessly chugs away at his can. Looking over at Jay, who's emitting a cloud of vapor from his mouth, Marcus asks him what he's smoking, and Jay, surprised at his ignorance, explains that it's a nicotine-based liquid used to help smokers quit smoking. Marcus finds himself entranced by the sight of the growing cloud exiting from Jay's mouth, as well as enticed by the fruity scent, so he asks Jay if he could give it a try. Jay hands Marcus his e-cig and he observes its cigarette-shaped appearance with a transfixed blend of excitement and anxiety. Marcus slowly brings the electronic cigarette to his lips and inhales deeply, but struggles to hold the vapor in his mouth as it goes down his throat and starts choking on it. Brett, Charlie and Jay chuckle in merriment and Marcus hands the e-cig back to Jay as he continues to cough out the vapor through his mouth. Jay talks about meeting up with his girlfriend later in the night and indiscreetly mentions his plan to lose his virginity, which strikes Marcus with a tinge of envy and loneliness. Brett gets into an argument with Charlie over buying him a pack of cigarettes before he goes back to their father's house, leaving Marcus stranded in a mass of tedium as he apathetically listens to their bickering with his usual enigmatic gaze.
As the bright sun goes to rest and the blackness of night emerges alongside the moon, Lynda and Paul get ready for bed. Paul is in the bathroom brushing his teeth and Lynda is sitting upright in bed reading another article about chemtrails on her laptop. She reads troubling passages on the subject matter aloud to her husband, expressing her concern about where the state of the world will be if these actions continue, but Paul, talking through a mouthful of toothpaste, thinks these conspiracy stories are being written by unreliable misfits who are merely trying to stir up panic within the gullible population. Defiant to the sound of opposition, Lynda proceeds with horrified eyes as she skims through the article and silently reads theories regarding the connection between chemtrails and global warming. Paul spits his remaining toothpaste into the sink, wipes his face with a towel hanging off the door, and walks into his bedroom to find Lynda nervously scrutinizing the reports. Having had enough of her rambling for one night, Paul closes Lynda's laptop and forcibly moves it on top of the bureau despite her objection. He gets into bed and cuddles his wife closely, staring romantically into her eyes while she looks back at his with a smile of everlasting affection. As the lovers become more intimate with one another, hinting at the return of sexual desire, they suddenly hear a mood-threatening knock on the outside of their door. The knob is then turned and entering the room is Marcus, who seems as though he couldn't be happier to see his two best friends in the world. Lynda and Paul smoothly break off their intimacy and invite their son in, armed with the knowledge he was going to let himself in regardless. Marcus crawls in bed and lies down between Paul and Lynda, who both stare at each other with a mutual look of expected disappointment. Marcus, on the other hand, has on a smile of peace and relaxation painted across his face as he sinks his head comfortably on Paul's pillow and caresses his parents' hands. Paul informs Marcus that he can't sleep in their bed forever and must at some point learn independence, but Lynda feels honored to have a son who enjoys spending quality time with his parents. Marcus discusses his repugnance over associating with his friends when they smoke and drink because it's not something he can relate to, so Paul admonishes him to find new friends, but Marcus admits he is too shy and socially inept to meet new people.
Early the following morning, the sun rises over the suburban street and a couple more cherries fall from the tree and make a splat as they hit the ground. Marcus, Paul and Lynda are still sleeping together in their bed huddled under a cozy quilt. Marcus and Paul sleep face to face while Marcus keeps both of his hands wrapped tightly around his father's arm. Paul is suddenly woken out of his snooze by the incessant ringing of his alarm clock placed atop a wooden shelf next to his bed. He reaches over and turns off his bedside alarm, then delicately pulls Marcus' fingers off his arm, sits up straight on the edge of the bed and rubs his eyes. Looking over his shoulder and seeing as his wife and son are still asleep, Paul gives Marcus a kiss on his temple and edges away into the bathroom to take a shower. As a cloud of steam permeates the room and gentle running water bounces calmly off the enclosed walls, Marcus remains peacefully confined in his sleep and turns over on his back, lying shoulder to shoulder with Lynda.
With his hair neatly groomed, and sporting a white button-down shirt along with a professional-looking pair of khakis, Paul heads downstairs into the kitchen and brews a steaming pot of coffee. He snatches an avocado from a basket beside the refrigerator and begins to dig out pieces of the green, smooth oily flesh with a spoon and devours it at the table, while simultaneously drinking his cup of coffee and reading yet another story on his cellphone. Lynda, enveloped in a dressing gown, wanders into the kitchen with noticeably untidy hair and partially open eyes. She fixes herself a hot cup of coffee and complains about being stiff from lying so closely next to Marcus in bed. Paul mentions in a rather calm manner that his arm feels slightly bruised as a result of Marcus gripping it all night, necessitating him to drink coffee with his opposite hand. Lynda sits sipping coffee and asks Paul what he's reading, and he tells her it's regarding a priest who denied a transgender woman from entering his church. Lynda cringes at the stupidity of the article and expresses her discontent with the lack of tolerance and empathy going on in the world. As Paul continues to consume avocado by the large spoonful, Lynda confesses that she smelled nicotine on Marcus' clothing even though he promised he wasn't smoking with his friends, to which Paul surmises that some of his friends' smoke must have absorbed into Marcus' clothes. Lynda is concerned that Brett is a bad influence on their son, claiming he used to be a sweet, artistic prodigy but is now throwing his life away on booze and cigarettes. Paul agrees with her but trusts that Marcus is mature enough to make his own decision on who he hangs out with. After finishing reading his article, Paul smiles seductively at Lynda and notifies her that Marcus probably won't be waking up for a few more hours, but even though she clocks his advance, Lynda refuses to have sex with their son in the house. Paul starts moving slowly toward her and brushes a wisp of hair away from her face, promising that he can be quiet, but Lynda teases him with a slow kiss on the lips before pushing him away and making him a deal that they'll have sex tonight as long as they lock the doors. Paul reluctantly agrees to wait until he arrives home from work and shares one last meeting of the tongues with Lynda before getting ready to leave. He takes with him his briefcase and remaining cup of coffee while Lynda loyally accompanies him to the front door. Paul walks down the driveway and steps into his car, laying the coffee down in the cupholder and resting his briefcase on top of his passenger seat. Starting the engine, Paul stares through his windshield and sees Lynda standing in the doorway gazing at him with adoration. They smile lovingly at each other and make a romantic motion with their hands, signifying their mutual endearment. Paul subsequently backs out of the driveway and drives down the quiet street, honking his horn for Lynda along the way. Lynda observes Paul driving away with a look of anxious uncertainty on her face, but once his car surpasses her view, she steps back inside the house and slowly closes the door.
Marcus finally wakens from his sleep and stretches out his arms, releasing a satisfying sigh of weariness. Turning his head to the side to find the clock reading 11:30 am, Marcus slowly pulls himself upright and yanks the covers off his lap, letting it fall carelessly onto the floor hanging over the side of the bed. Constantly blinking his bleary eyes, complete with an appropriately messy bedhead, Marcus gets out of bed and strolls next door into his bedroom, where he finds his mackerel tabby cat, Jake, curled up sleeping on top of his bed. Marcus takes a prolonged glance around his room and cringes at the sight of his babyish surroundings: featuring a row of friendly animals painted across the wallpaper, a lamp beside his computer covered with blocks of giraffe heads, owls, squirrels, cows, elephants and dolphins, a blue chair with a smiley face and a bed designed with cartoon characters on the sheets. Marcus wraps his arms around Jake's enlarged, rotund body and showers him with kisses as he sleeps, whispering in his ear how much he loves him when Jake suddenly wakes up and begins licking his brother all over his face. Marcus sits down in front of his computer and attempts to work on his narrative, but once he clicks on the page to start editing, he finds himself frozen in a state of writer's block. Struggling to think of something to write, Marcus sits back and exhales deeply, relaxing his muscles and assuring himself that he can do this. He begins typing whatever comes to mind but doesn't feel content with his choice of words, so he erases his sentence and develops an instant sting of frustration. Running his hands through his hair and biting down on his teeth, Marcus allows himself a moment of pause before he takes another whack at writing his starting sentence. Lynda comes in the bedroom offering Marcus a fresh cup of coffee, much to the disruption of his creative mental process. Not wanting to express his irritation, Marcus remains focused on the computer screen and tells his mom he's working. Lynda asks him if he would like to join her downstairs for some breakfast, but Marcus chooses to get through his paragraph first before he does anything else. Lynda asks what his article is about, but as his concentration quickly goes out the window, Marcus snaps at her and explains that he would like to be left alone while he's writing. Sensing the assertiveness in his voice, Lynda carefully sets the coffee down on the desk and gives Marcus an understanding kiss on the head before leaving the room and quietly shutting the door to block out any noises. Marcus takes a sip of coffee followed by one last deep breath, then calmly recommences typing away. As Marcus writes his sentence freely without any restraint, he feels a rush of inspiration course through his veins resulting in a growing smile. Jake jumps off the bed and affectionately rubs up against Marcus' leg, earning him a rub on his orange-furred back. After Marcus accomplishes his first few sentences, he peacefully downs his coffee, leans back and folds his arms behind his head and stares out his window looking at the trees in his backyard with a discreet smile of ease.
Marcus goes for a walk with Lynda around the block, passing before an array of modest houses exemplified by immaculate lawns. As the two step leisurely down the neighborhood, Lynda makes conversation with Marcus about whether he has any crushes on the girls he goes to school with, but feeling too awkward to disclose that kind of personal information, Marcus simply shrugs his shoulders and steers the conversation about his mother, questioning her as to the potency of her own love life with his father. Lynda casually reveals to him that she and Paul were getting ready to have sex last night but were forced to refrain themselves because he wandered into their room. Disgusted by his mother's unrestrained honesty, Marcus playfully gags and begs her never to tell him something like that again. Lynda laughs at Marcus' childlike reaction to sex and begins prying into his personal life, asserting that he must have his eye on some pretty girl being that he's 19 years old and spends a lot of his time alone in his bedroom. Though he's annoyed by Lynda's nosy questions and a little embarrassed, Marcus finally mentions that he has harbored something of a romantic interest in a student named Brynn, who sits in front of him in his psychology class. Lynda encourages him to ask her out, but Marcus shakes his head and dismisses the idea as futile, believing that Brynn is far too popular to want anything to do with him. Sympathizing with her inhibited son's lack of confidence, Lynda tells Marcus that he is a remarkable, devilishly handsome boy with a strong talent for writing and that Brynn would be lucky to have a boyfriend like that, but all Marcus can give as a response is a distant roll of the eyes, and once Lynda informs him that she would have gone out with him if she was his age and unrelated, he flinches uncomfortably and asks her to stop. While Marcus and Lynda awkwardly continue their on-foot journey along the sidewalk, Marcus brings up his doubts about pursuing a career in college, claiming that sitting in a classroom everyday of the week studying for meaningless exams isn't going to guarantee him happiness in the future. Lynda instantly becomes nervous by his remark and worries that he'll be in for a bad path if he decides to quit school, but Marcus maintains his theory that he could be doing something more valuable with his time, such as devoting his full effort to writing fanfiction. Lynda supports her son on whatever it is he wants to do with his life, but struggles to get over the fact that he isn't making money off of his narratives, to which Marcus insists that doesn't bother him because writing at least makes him happy and allows him to make use of his skill.
Nearing the end of their street, Marcus sees his elderly, silver-haired neighbor, Sylvia Cooperman (Blanche Baker), raking leaves in her front yard across the walkway. Sylvia sees them approaching and a radiant smile immediately arrives on her face. She waves enthusiastically, drops her rake carelessly on the lawn and rushes over to them, giving both Marcus and Lynda an overdue hug. Marcus conceals his annoyance behind a subtle, close-mouthed smile while Sylvia and Lynda engage in a lighthearted discussion about what they've been up to. Sylvia volunteers at the local synagogue with her husband every weekend and just recently mourned the death of her beloved friend, much to the sorrow of Lynda, who expresses her condolences and shortage of capacity to understand what that must feel like. Marcus listens to their somber dialogue with empathetic eyes, secretly scratching his leg out of discomfort and silent pleading to go home. When Sylvia turns her attention to Marcus asking what he's currently doing, the ungainly teen declares he is attending classes at a community college and writing fanfiction films on his free time. Sylvia wishes Marcus luck on his art and mentions that her daughter used to love writing as a child until she found her true passion for nursing in college, leaving a decidedly uninterested Marcus to nod his head in false approval. Sylvia then reminisces about the days when she and her husband used to babysit Marcus, bringing about a bittersweet nostalgia for she and Lynda while causing further unease for Marcus, still clawing at his skin using light upward strokes. Sylvia ultimately says her warm goodbyes to the pair and resumes her leaf raking, watching Marcus and Lynda as they carry on their walk back home. Marcus confesses to his mother that there's something off-putting about the Cooperman's, and while she agrees they're not pleasant to talk to, Lynda defends them as friendly old neighbors who were nice enough to babysit for she and Paul when Marcus was younger.
While Paul is sitting in his office typing an email to a client, he is suddenly broken out of his concentration by a knock on the door, turning around to find his close friend and long-time client, Lorraine (Amanda Warren) standing outside in front of the window. Anxious to assist, Paul gestures Lorraine to come inside and she eagerly rushes into his office and takes a seat across from his desk, handing him a check in order to make an early payment. As Paul enters her financial information into the internet, Lorraine, looking as though something serious is on her mind, questions Paul in regard to him leaving his office within a few months. Ridden with guilt, Paul puts a stop to his work and confesses to Lorraine that he is in fact being forced to shut down his office as a result of failing to make his numbers. Lorraine begs him to reconsider leaving since he is not only her close friend, but her only financial supporter for the last 15 years, and she fears that nobody else will take care of her with the same level of honesty and commitment. However, Paul assures her that the decision to retire is not in his control and that he will refer her to the most trustworthy agent once he officially leaves his office. Lorraine's face is overwhelmed with a look of panic and helplessness, and she tries unsuccessfully to convince Paul into standing his ground and refusing to quit, but he regrettably informs her that staying is no longer an option for him, revealing that he hasn't even told his wife yet about his obligatory withdraw out of shame. As Lorraine hatefully absorbs this harrowing information, she looks around the office and is captivated by a photograph of Marcus sitting atop a shelf. Merely desperate for a distraction, Lorraine compliments Marcus' picture and in a melancholy tone reminisces about the days when Marcus was a little boy helping Paul around the office. Putting his scathing sense of humor to use, Paul denies Lorraine's allegation of his son having good looks and insists he has no proof that Marcus is actually his child, causing Lorraine to burst out in a mocking chuckle as she declares that Marcus is one face of him. On a personal note, Paul asks Lorraine how she's doing otherwise, and she confides in him that she has suffered from loneliness ever since she and her husband split up, but finds comfort in her Yorkshire terrier.
While Lynda is in her kitchen hovering over a large, steaming saucepan filled with chili, Marcus sits in the living room with Brett and Charlie watching an old cartoon. They're sprawled on the sofa and while Marcus is utterly intoxicated by the buffoonish comedy unfolding on the television, Brett appears resoundingly uninterested. He sinks deeply into the couch cushion with his feet lying on the coffee table and reads through a series of memes on his smartphone. Charlie munches on popcorn and mutters a few fake laughs to appease his brother's best friend. On TV, a sinister bird follows a worm with the desperate intention of eating him. Once the worm realizes he's being hunted, he starts hopping away while the bird angrily chases after him. Marcus looks at the black and white aesthetic with a mixture of merriment and reverence, chuckling consistently as the worm burrows into the soil to go underground, only to be caught in the bird's mouth at the last second. The bird pulls the worm out of his hole and the worm wiggles helplessly as his bottom is stuck in the predator's gums, but soon the worm slithers under all of the ground holes, wraps himself around a branch and yanks the bird through the 4 air holes, stripping him of his feathers. In the kitchen, Lynda chops up some vegetables to mix into the chili and gives herself a taste of her masterful concoction, only to flinch at the burning temperature. After she wipes the excess chili powder off her semi-burnt palm, Lynda calls Paul to ask him what time he'll be home, but he doesn't answer his phone. She leaves him a voicemail telling him she made chili for dinner and that the boys are hanging out in the living room. Not wanting to disrupt him in case he's busy with a customer, Lynda tells Paul she loves him and hopes to see him in a short matter of time. She then sets her phone on the counter and proceeds to stir in the seasoning mix, staring down at the soup intently as it boils.
As Paul is driving home from work, he hears his phone beeping inside his pocket and sees that he missed a call from Lynda. He presses a button to play the message she left for him informing him that she has dinner prepared and hopes he doesn't plan on working late. Confident that his driving skill is strong enough to handle two simultaneous tasks, Paul calls Lynda to tell her he got her message and that he's on his way home. While Lynda is sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a bowl of her chili, she brags to Paul about her cooking dexterity and proclaims that she has perfected the greatest chili to date, prompting Paul to tease her claiming that he works 5 days a week for more than 40 hours while she stays at home perfecting her "housewife pleasures". Out of playful spite, Lynda accuses Paul of being ungrateful for everything she does and vows not to give him anymore of her food, telling him he can starve every night from now on. Following their brief exchange of banter, Lynda and Paul once again express their love for each other ending with Paul promising to arrive home shortly. Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, Paul makes his way down the winding road through a wooded valley when suddenly a deer wanders out of the woods and attempts to cross the street. Paul slams on his brakes but unavoidably collides with the deer, splitting its body in half and causing Paul's car to swerve around a corner and crash into a tree. Once Paul regains consciousness, he finds himself lying upside down surrounded by glass and blood, peering up at the ceiling of his car. Paul reaches toward his ceiling, bracing himself with one hand while stabilizing his feet on the floor of the vehicle, and then undoes his seat belt. He crawls uneasily toward a window and breaks it open with his hand, clearing away glass shards before exiting through the confined opening. Once he's free from the car, Paul looks up at the sky as he lies wounded on the side of the road, gasping in pain and shock. Turning his head to the side, he views the bisected carcass of the ill-fated deer scattered across the road a few feet away. Paul's vision becomes blurred by a stream of tears in addition to blood dripping down from a gash on his forehead. His heavy breathing gradually diminishes, along with his suffering, and he draws in one last breath before his eyes go dead, facing the trees as they sway in the gentle wind.
Marcus and Lynda sit across from each other at the dinner table uncomfortably struggling to eat their chili, disturbed by the chilling disquiet brought on by the absence of their patriarch. Dipping his spoon into a thick glob of melted mozzarella cheese, Marcus finds himself too nauseated to even bring it to his lips, staring at his mother with a palpable expression of sadness and softly calls out to her, but she's distracted in her attempt to reach Paul on her cellphone. As Lynda patiently waits for the ringing on the other end to result in an answer, she only receives the despairing response of the voicemail instructing her to leave a message. Growing more overwhelmed by panic, Lynda looks at Marcus' stricken face, contorted with worry. She gets out of her seat and plants a compassionate kiss between her son's eyes, suggesting that he wait there while she goes to look for his father, but a determined Marcus rejects her idea and insists he's coming with her.
During their drive to Paul's office, Marcus stares out the window looking at the passing trees while Lynda mentions that if she finds his father with Lorraine, she's going to go ballistic. Marcus doesn't believe his father would ever cheat on her, especially since all he does when he isn't working is sleep, and Lynda subtly reveals to him that she and Paul plan on having a romantic night together, causing Marcus to briefly forget about his concern and instead become disgusted by the thought of his parents making love. As the two share a lighthearted laugh, Lynda suddenly runs over something in the road, forcing her to stop the car and breaking their moment of stability. Both of them gasping in shock, Lynda clutches a frightened Marcus on his shoulder and makes sure that he's okay. Once they regain their breaths, Marcus and Lynda exit the car and realize they ran over the bisected upper torso of a deer carcass. Lynda wanders further up the street to check for any oncoming vehicles for help and Marcus kneels down and stares into the deceased deer's eyes, caressing his face out of sympathy. Getting back on his feet, Marcus turns around and finds his mother standing on the side of the road with her back turned. He walks curiously to Lynda and tries to get her attention, but she is transfixed by a crashed car lying upside down in the grass. Marcus' face becomes flooded with dread as he recognizes the car is his father's Volkswagen CC, and Lynda, rooted to the spot in disbelief, orders him to get back in her car. Marcus starts breathing heavily and rushes back into Lynda's car where he waits for her to return. Lynda takes out her cellphone and dials the police, but as she holds the phone to her ear, she catches a glimpse of something lying on the ground a few feet away. Hanging up as soon as the dispatcher answers the call, Lynda slowly walks over to the figure. As Marcus sits silently in the passenger seat feeling a surge of anxiety, his greatest fear comes to fruition when he hears his mother let out a blood-curdling scream. Marcus shakes his head in disbelief and begins to whimper like a child, fully convinced that his father is dead. Sometime later in the night, the wooded area is swarming with police who have blocked off the road. A hysterical Lynda cradles Paul's head in her arms and weeps loudly over his body, pleading with him to wake up as police officers struggle to pull her away in order to put Paul on the gurney. Marcus stands immobile on the side of the road, tears welling in his eyes and spilling down his shocked visage. He watches in shell-shocked horror as his father gets carried away in an ambulance and his mother proceeds to break down in the arms of a sympathetic patrolman, burying her face into his armpit as she cries.
At the synagogue, waiting for the funeral service to begin, Marcus sits distraught in the front row of benches next to an openly grieving Lynda. His face is expressionless and utterly devoid of color, focusing a blank gaze toward the stained glass windows in the chapel while he tugs self-consciously on his tie draped over a blue collared, button-down shirt. Lynda clasps her son's hand and whispers to him that everything is going to be okay once they get through this, but Marcus appears too distant to return her affection for once. Desperate to reach out, Lynda showers Marcus with her typically healing array of kisses, but all he can do is wince at her sentiment. Realizing he wants to be left alone, Lynda takes out a piece of loose-leaf paper with a eulogy written on it and starts to scrutinize her own words to guarantee their perfection, tears welling in her eyes along the way. As more family members and loved ones of Paul gather together in the chapel, Sylvia rushes over to Lynda and apologizes for not waiting until after the burial to give her condolences, but a heartbroken Lynda assures her it's okay and gives her a much-needed hug. Sylvia attempts to comfort Marcus during his silent grief, but he remains mostly cold and unresponsive. In an effort to make a sincere gesture, Sylvia offers to make dinner for Marcus and Lynda sometime after the grieving process slows down, and Lynda gratefully accepts her invitation. Sylvia takes her seat on the bench behind Lynda and shortly before the service commences, several more attendees make their way inside and are seated in the back. Marcus sits paralyzed by the sight of his father's closed casket resting atop the platform, filling him with a growing comprehension of all that's left after death.
Once all of the remaining attendees are seated, Rabbi Gerald Cooperman (Richard Jenkins) mounts the platform to address the congregation and begins the service with a reading of Biblical passages from the book of Psalms. As everybody in the crowd begins to perform a silent prayer, keeping their backs straight but free and quieting their minds and bodies by taking a few relaxing, deep breaths, Marcus closes his eyes and swallows hard, sniffing back his tears. Rabbi Gerald then delivers a eulogy about Paul informing and comforting the mourners with the knowledge of what a selfless, hardworking and devoted husband and father the deceased was. Following his kindhearted send-off to the crowd, Gerald asks loved ones if they would like to share their own stories and history about Paul, and Lynda -- inexperienced with public speaking but brave enough to speak on behalf of her husband -- hesitantly rises from her chair clutching the piece of paper in her hand and slowly climbs on the platform. Unable to thoroughly look the crowd in the eye, Lynda uneasily delivers her eulogy explaining her intimate and perfect relationship with Paul while choking back tears and constantly looking down at her piece of paper to stay on track with her writing. As the devastation overwhelms her ability to speak, Lynda breaks down in a fit of sadness and is unable to deliver her remarks, so Gerald gently takes the paper from her and finishes reading Lynda's remaining thoughts while she goes to sit back down. Marcus empathetically takes his mother's hand and enfolds her in his arms, listening as Gerald soothingly reads Lynda's eulogy aloud. Gerald subsequently offers Marcus the opportunity to say something on behalf of his father, stupefying him as a result of having nothing written down. Reluctantly, Marcus ascends the platform and nervously faces the crowd, struggling to muster a spontaneous speech about his dad. He decides to simply speak from the heart and slowly begins to open up about the close relationship he shared with his father, but doesn't skimp on some of the flaws he encountered in Paul's behavior. Marcus' voice starts cracking as he acknowledges how much he loved his father and that he would do anything to trade places with him to avoid living the rest of his life without him. In a fit of anger, Marcus turns to face Paul's coffin and blames him for leaving he and his mother alone, claiming that if he had spent more time at home with them than at work, he would still be alive. Lynda and several other mourners look on uncomfortably and stay put in their seats.
As Marcus and Lynda are gathered at the graveside, surrounded by an abundance of heartbroken mourners, Rabbi Cooperman recites a short series of prayers dealing with mortality and love. Marcus respectfully devotes his attention to Gerald's prayer but also winces at some of the obvious rehearsal in his voice. Once Gerald finishes his recital of the El Malei Rachamim, Marcus and Lynda watch Paul's coffin being lowered into the ground. As the slowly sinking casket descends gently to the bottom of the grave, Gerald gestures for Lynda to pick up the shovel placed beside a pile of newly dug earth. Though visibly horrified, Lynda rises from her chair and grabs the shovel before scooping up a large chunk of soil and hesitantly approaching her husband's grave. She looks down at the coffin with tears streaming down her face and quivering lips, whispering a final goodbye just before she empties the shovel onto Paul's casket. Marcus remains in his seat and observes a line of mourners stepping forward, taking turns dropping a little of the soil onto his father's coffin. To his surprise, Marcus notices that some of the mourners are replacing the shovel back in the earth rather than handing it from one person to the next. While several more participants step up to help fill the grave, Marcus finds himself growing haunted by the echo of earth falling on the wooden coffin, compelling him to cover his ears but the terrible sound of finality only grows louder with each sprinkling of dirt. Marcus is suddenly snapped out of his sickened stupor by Lynda, who grabs him by his shoulder and encourages him to sprinkle some soil over Paul's coffin. Unwilling to confess his disinterest in helping out, Marcus thoughtlessly lifts the shovel out of the earth and plunges it into the soil. He slowly walks toward his father's grave and stands motionless above the coffin, straining for the fortitude to lower the shovel. Marcus begins to shudder at the sight of his father's coffin and accidentally spills some of the earth, pervading him with heavy-breathing panic. He nervously turns around and places the shovel back into the earth, walking briskly away from the grave and struggling to regain his composure. Lynda tries to console Marcus but he pushes her gently away and storms off.
Returning to Marcus and Lynda's house where shiva is being observed, people hang around in the living room, serve themselves food from the platters of cold cuts and engage in somber conversation using hushed voices. Lynda, collapsed on her couch encompassed by a group of her closest girlfriends, is beside herself with anguish expressing her concern about what she's going to do now that she is a widow. Her friends enfold her in their arms and promise to help her out with anything she needs, assuring Lynda that she is not to go through this life-shattering experience all by herself. Fighting through her tears of overwhelming distress, Lynda tearfully reveals that what frightens her the most is how Marcus is going to carry himself without a father, fearing that she cannot be a capable mother to him single-handed. One of her friends recommends joining her at the gym where she can build her self-confidence and meet somebody who can take care of her, but Lynda proclaims she isn't ready for companionship just yet, still hindered by her emotional attachment to Paul and feeling as though she'd be cheating on him if she went looking for someone new. Lynda's back starts to rise and fall in a fit of sobs, and her friends, looking helpless, give her consoling pats to soothe her and solemnly swear that they will help her get through this.
Secluded upstairs within his bedroom, Marcus lies in bed cocooned in a blanket. His face is dampened with tears and he absentmindedly faces the wall. As Jake sits patiently on the floor with his forelegs tucked beneath his furry corpulent stomach, staring upward at his melancholic brother with beady eyes, he suddenly emits a piteous meow to get Marcus' attention. Turning over slowly on his right side, Marcus fixes Jake with an unwavering stare and begins quivering with heartbreak as he repeatedly utters, "Daddy isn't coming home!" Marcus then breaks down in tears, whimpering quietly underneath the covers.
The remaining mourners are slowly filtering out of the house and Lynda politely ushers them to the door, vacuously accepting their condolences and thanking them for coming. Her friend informs her that she spotted somebody sitting in their car outside at the end of the block, prompting Lynda to curiously go outside and investigate. She takes a leisurely walk down the block squinting her eyes to get a better look at the type of car she's approaching, and once the person inside notices they've been detected, she quickly plunges the key into the ignition, but Lynda circles over to the window just in time. Cornered, the woman dressed in all black yanks out her key and awkwardly steps out of the car, revealing herself to be Lynda's older sister, Mary (Kathryn Hahn). Lynda stands frozen beside the vehicle, wearing an expression of harassed astonishment and unable to produce any remarks. Mary, who is equally in a struggle to act rationally, gives her condolences for what happened to Paul and explains that she desperately wanted to attend his funeral but panicked at the last second out of doubt that Lynda would've wanted to see her. As Lynda remains stationary, taking in her sister's wholehearted speech, Mary apologizes for the regrettable way in which they ended their last relationship and takes full responsibility for what she cruelly said about Paul. Mary begs Lynda's forgiveness while on the verge of tears, and seeing the genuine pain in her sister's desolate watery eyes, Lynda silently acknowledges her apology and steps forward to envelop her in a hug.
Hours later in the nighttime, the house is almost completely empty and bathed in peaceful silence. Platters of food sit wrapped up on the dining room table and the television is playing inaudibly in the living room. Marcus is at his work desk staring lethargically at his unfinished article presented on the computer screen, featuring a narrative about a modern teenager who doesn't feel as though he belongs in the 21st century. The title above reads, "Untitled Coming-of-age Project" in bold and contains three months' worth of several paragraphs and detailed characterizations but a serious decline in plot progression. Marcus looks as though his story doesn't even excite him anymore and he struggles mentally to conjure up an opening sentence for his next paragraph. He is wearing a lightweight hooded pullover sweatshirt and pajama bottoms, ready to throw himself in bed at any minute. Taking a deep breath and gently rubbing his temples, Marcus quietly tells himself he can do this and begins typing his first sentence, but before he is able to finish, his eyes are drawn to the baby-furnished lamp in the corner of his bedroom. Distracted by childish images of smiling animals, a frustrated Marcus gets out of his seat, walks briskly over to the lamp and turns it around so it's facing the wall. He then returns to the computer and attempts to complete his sentence, only to realize that his fleeting rush of inspiration has already escaped him. On his desk beside the computer is a corned beef sandwich lying uneaten on a paper plate. Marcus gazes at the sandwich contemplating taking a bite, but unhappily decides against it in favor of keeping his energy firmly focused on writing.
Marcus sits in the back of his classroom and jots down notes for his story while the professor tries to lead the class in a group discussion about "Othello". While the majority of students appear largely apathetic, sitting back in their chairs feigning consciousness, Brynn (Danielle Rose Russell), the stunningly attractive girl whom Marcus has feelings for, volunteers in the debate and declares that Othello's tragic flaw was jealousy which made him susceptible to believing anything negative that Iago told him. Intrigued by her well-thought-out statement, Marcus takes a momentary break from his writing and focuses his attention on an unsuspecting Brynn who's sitting on the far end of a distant row, watching her with an undisguised lust. Once the teacher regains control of the discussion and moves it forward among others, Marcus returns to his brainstorming and pencils another idea into his notebook, involving his protagonist falling in love with a beautiful young woman who fails to recognize his existence. He looks out the window next to his desk and becomes nearly lost in a daydream, peering at the outside campus and into a wooded area across the street. Marcus fixes his eyes on the swaying trees and ambiguous passage leading to the darkened forest, growing somewhat frightened by the familiarity of the valley. As the teacher realizes that Marcus is not paying attention, she calls out his name, but he continues to stare out the window as though an invisible entity is looking back at him. After calling out his name a third time, Marcus is snapped out of his reverie, seeing that he's being gawked at by his classmates. The teacher asks Marcus if he has something more important on his mind, and he casually reveals that he has been working on an important personal narrative that he finds more beneficial than listening to someone drone on about a well-traveled play written in the 17th century. Several students exchange surprised glances as the professor informs Marcus that he is free to leave the class if he needs to take care of something else. Marcus politely accepts that invitation and silently breathes out, as if in awe at what he just said to the teacher. He decides to remain in his seat and proceeds to scribble some more concepts, the teacher calmly going ahead with the Othello conversation. As Marcus is concentrating on his outline, he glances to the side and finds Brynn staring at him with a combined expression of admiration and curiosity. Marcus stares back at her with a slight smile and she turns back to the professor, unaware that his smile is turning into a yearning gaze.
Lynda drearily enters her bedroom carrying a stack of three cardboard boxes: individually labeled "things to keep", "give away" and "not sure". Setting the boxes down beside her bed, she goes through Paul's compartments and deposits a pile of his favored belongings in the retaining box when Jake wanders into the room and begins rubbing his head against the cardboard boxes. Comforted by her cat's presence, Lynda tells Jake that she misses Paul too and asks his advice on what things of his should she keep and get rid of. Once Jake walks over to the left side of the bed staring up at his father's alarm clock, Lynda decides to unplug it from the wall and places the clock gently inside the give-away box, thanking Jake for making that decision easier for her. She pets him lovingly on the back of his neck and kisses him on the cheek, reminding him how grateful she is every day for Marcus having picked him to be their family pet. Lynda then comes across a folder containing pictures of Paul from his younger years: as she flips through them, contemplating whether these mementos will be too painful to hold on to, she ultimately drops them in the "not sure" pile. Reaching the most dread-inducing part of the process, Lynda opens the doors to Paul's closet and stares attentively at his clothing. After standing frozen for a moment in deep concentration, Lynda hesitantly removes Paul's shirts from their hangers and holds them in a pile up to her nose, sniffing them with demented affection before she turns her back toward the closet and slumps dejectedly to the floor. Jake moves toward his mother and smashes his head against her arm, but she remains absent and still as she cradles her husband's clothes in her arms and begins to cry. As Jake stays close to Lynda's side detecting her need for solidarity, suddenly she emits a loud wail of anguish, frightening Jake and causing him to scurry out of the room.
As Brynn hangs around her locker, brushing her long auburn hair in front of a mirror, Marcus surreptitiously lingers in the hallway far behind her, blocked by a swarming crowd of numerous students passing by to get to their next destination. He stands as still as a statue hopelessly among his fast-moving classmates, laboring for the courage to finally approach her, while Brynn beautifully arranges herself in complete lack of awareness to her admirer's longing gaze in the background. Overwhelmed with last-minute dread, a downhearted Marcus turns away and departs to go to lunch empty-handed and crestfallen.
While Lynda is calmly folding all of her husband's clothes and packing them away to keep possession of, she looks up and sees a pile of his reading books on top of his nightstand. Looking at the collection as though she never knew what a strong reader Paul was, Lynda picks up the neatly arranged load of novels and carefully places them inside the "not sure" box, coming across a misplaced photograph of herself, Paul and Marcus on a cruise ship from several years ago. Scanning the family picture with a wistful expression, Lynda becomes filled with acute nostalgia over her younger days with her family and assuredly situates the meaningful image in the box of items to be held on to. When the doorbell is unexpectedly rung, Lynda gets up and starts making her way downstairs, but as she walks by the bathroom, she spots something that negatively catches her attention. Storming into the bathroom, Lynda yanks her husband's toothbrush out of its holder and abruptly tosses it in the trash can beside the toilet. Walking briskly down the stairs and into the foyer, she opens the front door and is surprised to see Mary standing rather expectantly on her doorstep. Rife with a glowing smile of hopefulness, Mary tells Lynda she hasn't been able to stop thinking about her since Paul's death and asks almost pleadingly to come inside so they can talk, to which Lynda begrudgingly obliges.