Morgan Sewart [Jon Cryer] is the son of a Republican senator from Virginia who has spent most of his life away at boarding school. He copes with the quiet ache of missing Thanksgiving with his parents, brushing it off with a wry smile, until a big prank with three friends lands him in trouble with the Headmaster. As luck would have it, a phone call from his mother nudges him toward home, and he returns just as the holiday chaos threatens to swallow the family whole.
Morgan is brought home to help with his father’s bid for re-election, a campaign that is built on the idea of a united family more than on any single platform. The campaign is steered by Jay Le Soto [Paul Gleason], the manager whose sharp edges and relentless drive push the family to confront what “together” really means. Nancy Stewart [Lynn Redgrave], Morgan’s mother, hopes he will adopt a more conservative stance, while Senator Tom Stewart [Nicholas Pryor], his father, is more permissive and curious about the boy’s growing independence. The dynamic between mother and son grows tense as Morgan tries to find a place within a public life that feels increasingly at odds with his private self. To prove he can contribute to the household and the campaign, Morgan takes on chores—even sweeping and waxing floors—showing a budding sense of responsibility that challenges the familiar parental lines.
A spark of rebellion and romance lights when Morgan attends a book signing by his horror-film idol, George A. Romero, and meets Emily [Viveka Davis], a fellow fan who shares his love for the macabre and the offbeat charm of cinema. Their bond quickly becomes a bridge between a boy who wants to belong and a girl who understands what it means to be seen. The couple’s early happiness is tempered by consequences: Morgan borrows his father’s car for a date, Emily’s younger brother calls the police, and Morgan finds himself grounded, a setback that tests their trust and patience.
The plot thickens as Morgan discovers his mother has placed cameras in his room, a private breach that makes him feel exposed and misunderstood. He begins to see that his father and he might have more in common than he realized, even as his mother’s scrutiny and the campaign’s pressures strain every attempt at family harmony. The tension erupts when Emily learns that Morgan lied about his family’s circumstances, and Morgan, pushed to the brink, faces the threat of military school, a pressure amplified by Jay’s insistence on discipline and order.
In a moment of audacious escape, Morgan uses a chainsaw signed by Tobe Hooper—the kind of bold gesture that marks a turning point for him and for the fragile trust between him and Emily. After a difficult confession, Emily forgives him, and the two decide to put their lives more openly on the line together. They also uncover a surprising treasure in Morgan’s late aunt’s coin collection—kept in a safety deposit box—that Morgan had previously acquired by a cheeky act of pickpocketing Jay to get a key. The collection, as it turns out, is more than a sentimental keepsake: it hides evidence of embezzlement within the campaign funds, a secret that may change the course of the family’s future.
Jay learns of the discovery and attempts to intervene, but his efforts fail in the face of Morgan’s resolve and the mounting truth. The campaign’s fortunes tilt as the truth comes to light, and the senator’s bid for re-election gains momentum on the strength of a family that has chosen honesty over convenience. The aftermath of these revelations reshapes everyone involved: Senator Stewart is re-elected, and the family begins to redefine what it means to live together in public and private life.
Behind the scenes, the household shifts in unexpected ways. Nancy, who had clung to a more traditional diet and lifestyle, finds a new balance as she reevaluates personal choices, while Jay faces legal consequences for the misappropriation he’s been implicated in. The household staff also experiences changes: Ivan [Savely Kramarov], the loyal butler, emerges with a surprising new role in real estate, reshaping his life and leaving his wife Francheska behind for a younger lark. Francheska later returns to Russia, seeking a fresh start while staying connected with Morgan in a way that reinforces the film’s recurring theme: family ties endure, even when the people within them diverge and reform. Emily’s arc closes with acceptance from Morgan’s parents, who come to value the couple’s bond and the honesty that Mikael—sorry, Morgan—has finally embraced.
The movie layers humor with warmth, painting a portrait of a family navigating politics, pride, and the messy, imperfect reality of togetherness. It asks viewers to consider what it truly means to belong—to a family, to a political cause, and to a partner—while never losing sight of the everyday rituals that keep people connected: shared meals, honest conversations, and the small acts of love that happen in the quiet spaces between big moments. The result is a story that remains true to its characters while expanding the world of Morgan, Nancy, Tom, Emily, and Jay into a broader tapestry of loyalty, ambition, and the stubborn, stubborn resilience of family.
- Nancy Stewart [Lynn Redgrave]
- Jay Le Soto [Paul Gleason]
- Morgan Sewart [Jon Cryer]
- Tom Stewart [Nicholas Pryor]
- Emily [Viveka Davis]
- General Fenton [Andrew Duncan]
- Emily's Father [Joseph Bova]
- Emily's Mother [Barbara C. Lewis]
- Emily's Grandmother [Nina Hansen]
- Mr. Whitewood [Bill Conn]
- Mrs. Whitewood [Dorothy Shields]
- Heather Whitewood [Tammy Amerson]
- Ivan [Savely Kramarov]
