Consenting Adult

Jeff writes to his mother requesting contact, and they meet in his university town where he reveals that he is homosexual. Tess is supportive but unsettled, unsure how to navigate this new reality. The family dynamic shifts as the news reverberates through the Lynd household.

Tess rushes to her local doctor, Mark Waldo, to inquire about counseling options she hopes will 'show Jeff that he is mistaken.' The search exposes Tess's hopeful but misguided belief that therapy can alter her son's identity. The plan plants the seeds for later conflict with Jeff and Ken.

Tess also consults Dr. Daniels in Seattle, who characterizes homosexuality as an illness and claims some patients can return to heterosexuality after sessions. His stance reinforces Tess's belief that Jeff's orientation is curable. The encounter deepens the divide between medical opinion and Jeff's reality.

Tess informs Ken about Jeff's situation and he bursts into tears, struggling to accept his son's identity. The moment reveals mounting parental resistance and foreshadows the strain on their marriage. The scene marks the first major fracture in the Lynds' unity.

In a therapy session, Jeff explains that he has wrestled with his sexual orientation for over seven years and seeks understanding, not a cure. The candor exposes the depth of his pain and the limits of the doctors' fixes. His honesty drives a deeper rift with his father and heightens the quest for acceptance.

Jeff returns home and tells his mother that he has stopped treatment because he believes his orientation is not a disease. He describes his romantic feelings for men and his attempts with women in the past. The scene intensifies the emotional distance within the family and tests Tess's capacity to accept him.

Ken declares that he cannot agree with Jeff's lifestyle, condemns liberal ideas, and calls homosexuality 'unnatural.' He begins to withdraw emotionally and avoids his son, signaling a critical break in parental support. Jeff leaves the room in anger, sensing the widening gulf.

On his way back to college, Jeff meets Hank in a diner who flirts with him and offers a ride. He initially resists but eventually gives in, marking his first sexual experience with another man outside his family circle. The encounter complicates Jeff's feelings about home and identity.

Back home for Christmas, Jeff tries to pursue a romance with neighbor Sue but realizes he has no romantic interest. He informs his parents that he has stopped treatment and that his relationships have been with men. The moment crystallizes the gap between his identity and his family’s expectations.

In a stark escalation, Ken cuts Jeff off financially, signaling a hard line against his son's lifestyle. The family becomes financially and emotionally estranged as Jeff asserts independence. The cutoff deepens Jeff's reliance on his own support network outside the home.

Jeff witnesses anti-LGBTQ violence in a diner, which heightens his sense of danger and visibility. He then comes out to his roommate Pete, who responds with homophobic remarks that reveal the fragility of their friendship. The confrontation prompts Jeff to move out and seek a place with his new partner.

Jeff leaves his old life behind and moves in with his new boyfriend, Stu, establishing a more stable home outside his parents. The relationship offers Jeff support and a sense of belonging he has struggled to find at home. The move marks a turning point in his fight for acceptance.

Ken dies suddenly from a stroke, and at the funeral Tess reads a letter he wrote for Jeff. In it, Ken admits he is not ready to embrace Jeff's lifestyle but vows not to give up his son. The letter reframes the family's pain as a walk toward understanding and love.

After the funeral, Tess tells her friend Claire that she has accepted her son, even if she does not want to publicly witness his lifestyle. In a quiet moment of reconciliation, she calls Jeff and tells him she loves him. The film closes on a fragile, but hopeful, note of maternal love.