Small-town attorney Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) is struggling to keep his practice solvent, moonlighting as a high school wrestling coach while shielding his wife, Jackie (Amy Ryan), and their two young daughters, Abby and Stella, from the extent of their financial problem.
When his court-appointed client Leo Poplar (Burt Young) develops early-onset dementia, Flaherty sees an opportunity and persuades a judge to appoint him as Poplar’s guardian in exchange for a career-saving monthly stipend.
Poplar’s rebellious teenage grandson Kyle (Alex Shaffer) shows up from Ohio hoping to stay with grandpa, with Mike and Jackie steering him into their home as Mike has moved Leo to a senior care facility. Kyles troubles come to light as the Flaherty’s try to make the best of a worsening situation, though a hidden talent surfaces that soon has things looking up for them all.
Things are further complicated when Kyle’s mother Cindy (Melanie Lynskey) shows up just out of rehab and attempts to regain custody of her father and son, upending Flaherty’s best laid plans.
Things roll along with excellent input from Jeffrey Tambour and Bobby Cannavale (recruited from his Station Agent days by director Tom McCarthy, who directed both movies) while the increasingly frazzled Flaherty (Giamatti at his frantic best) races to find an equitable solution.
A great little gem of a movie currently available on YouTube and Amazon.
