To an outsider, the Taylors are the very picture of the successful American family; Charles (Willem Dafoe) is a tenured professor on track to become university president; son Michael (Ryan Reynolds) is a prolific and well-known romance novelist; daughter Ryne (Shannon Lucio) is poised to enter a prestigious law school; and on the day we are introduced to them, matriarch Lisa (Julia Roberts) will graduate from college—decades after leaving to raise her children. But when a serious accident interrupts the celebration, the far more nuanced reality of this Midwestern family's history and relationships come to light.