Accidents Happen

In 1974, the Conway family watches The Three Stooges at a Connecticut drive-in theater. Gene's reckless moment near the screen and Gloria's stumble provoke the crowd, and the drive home ends in tragedy. A distracted Ray crashes the car, Linda is killed, and Gene is left brain-damaged and paralyzed.

By 1982, Ray is divorced and the family grapples with the long-term impact of the accident. The burden of Gene's condition and Doug's involvement adds tension, while Billy remains friends with Doug despite the past. The household wrestles with memory and a fragile sense of normalcy.

One night, an argument over a TV dinner brings out the old animosity in the household. Larry, now belligerent and profane, clashes with Billy as the dinner spills and burns him. Doug intervenes, and the confrontation cements the growing rift between the brothers.

Billy and Doug engage in reckless games that include streaking and a convenience-store robbery. During their escapade, a bowling ball is hurled and collides with a moving car, killing Doug's father. The tragedy compounds the communities' fears and secrets.

After Billy's back injury and the exposed thefts, Gloria confronts him with anger. She learns of the suspicious events and, furious at the risk to their family, forbids Billy from seeing Doug. The decision seals a rift that hides the truth of the crash's consequences.

Doug receives a note implying his father committed suicide and that insurance won't pay. He resolves to confess to the police along with Billy, hoping to uncover the truth. The note pushes the two toward a potential disclosure that could unravel years of secrecy.

Billy tells Gloria about the intended confession, hoping for honesty. She calls him selfish and slaps him, breaking down in tears as the weight of the situation sinks in. The emotional blow hints at deeper family pain still undisclosed.

The police question Billy and Doug about the past and the crash, pressing them for details. The investigation unfolds as the family contends with fear, guilt, and memories they have long avoided. The scrutiny threatens to expose buried truths that could fracture the remaining relationships.

While the investigation continues, the Conway family learns that Gene has died, removing the last of the injured siblings from the living. The loss deepens the collective grief and shifts the focus toward funeral rites and forgiveness. The past and present collide in the new void left by Gene's absence.

Doug attends Gene's funeral, and Gloria offers forgiveness for what happened. The moment suggests a fragile reconciliation that could allow healing, even as guilt and memory linger. The scene underscores the film's themes of forgiveness amid irreversible tragedy.

In the final moment, Billy picks up the bowling ball found after the fatal crash and rolls it down the sidewalk. The simple act becomes a haunting symbol of memory and the cycles of guilt that the family cannot escape. The film closes on Billy’s steady gaze and the quiet street.