Bogus

The film opens with Lorraine Franklin dying in a car crash in Nevada, leaving her son Albert orphaned. Lorraine's death sets the emotional stakes and triggers Harriet's reluctant guardianship under Lorraine's will. The loss establishes the emotional core of the story and the distance Albert will experience from his mother.

In Lorraine's will, Harriet Franklin is named Albert's godmother, a role Harriet initially resists. She fears taking responsibility for a child, but she ultimately accepts to prevent Albert from entering foster care. This decision marks the beginning of their uneasy, evolving family dynamic.

Albert leaves Nevada by plane for Newark, signaling a new start and a widening separation from his now absent mother. On the flight, Bogus, a figure born from a sketch Albert drew, seems to come to life as his invisible companion. The trip foreshadows the special bond that will guide him through the coming challenges.

Harriet arrives late to pick up Albert after his first day in Newark, and the boy reveals his invisible friend Bogus. He resists conventional help, clinging to the fantasy as a shield against his new reality. The moment marks the beginning of Harriet sensing the depth of Albert's isolation.

Albert attends school in Newark, still accompanied by Bogus, whose presence underscores the thin line between imagination and reality. Harriet's lateness to pick him up after school continues, deepening Albert's sense of abandonment. The invisible friend becomes a steady, if troubling, fixture in his daily life.

Harriet and school personnel search for Albert after he wanders away, eventually finding him in a park. He is seen in a confrontation with Bogus, his invisible companion, which highlights the depth of his attachment. The scene shows the challenge Harriet faces in keeping him connected to the real world.

Harriet meets Bob, an investor who could help finance her business; they discuss belief and magic as a metaphor for risk. Bob engages with Albert through playful make-believe and invites him to Doug's birthday party, offering a potential social anchor. The encounter marks a turning point in Harriet's plans and Albert's social world.

At Doug's birthday party, a magician asks Harriet to participate in the show, but she refuses, avoiding the spotlight. Albert watches with a mix of frustration and longing, feeling sidelined by Harriet's focus on her ambitions. The scene deepens the rift between Harriet and Albert's need for magic and connection.

Later that night, Albert claims to have a better trick, but Harriet is preoccupied with her plans and dismisses him. In the aftermath, Bogus begins to whisper to Harriet, hinting that she is shutting out Albert and overlooking his need for belief and companionship. The tension foreshadows a shift in their relationship.

The following evening, Albert sneaks out while the babysitter sleeps and travels by bus to Atlantic City to see the magician Monsieur Antoine perform. His magician friends tuck him in on the trip, and the experience yields a dreamlike memory of his mother. The journey marks a dangerous turn as Albert pursues the only world that still feels like magic.

Meanwhile, Harriet spots an ad for the Atlantic City magician and heads to the city to collect Albert, bringing him home and tucking him into bed. In the kitchen, she finally opens her mind and sees Bogus, stepping into a shared reality with Albert. They share a moment of connection before returning to ordinary life.

Going into Albert's room to tell him she sees Bogus, Harriet discovers he is climbing the fire escape to the roof, chasing a vision of his mother. Harriet calls him from below, and he makes the final steps into her arms, symbolically joining their makeshift family. They vow to try to be a real family together from then on.

The story closes with Albert and Harriet traveling to Nevada to visit Lorraine's grave. They play and improvise together, and Bogus says goodbye, a farewell they barely notice, marking a tentative peace and continued growth for their unusual family.