Dutch

Dutch Dooley attends a high-society party with Natalie Standish and immediately stands out with his boorish comments and cheap suit. The contrast between Dutch and the other guests underscores the class clash that threads through the story. Natalie's relaxed demeanor only emphasizes Dutch's outsider status.

Natalie's ex-husband Reed informs her that he must interrupt Thanksgiving with their son Doyle for an unexpected business trip to London and instructs Natalie to tell Doyle. Natalie relays this without Doyle's knowledge, heightening the looming family tension. The moment sets Dutch up to step in as a bridge to Doyle and Natalie.

Natalie calls Doyle at his private school in Georgia to invite him home, but Doyle refuses, blaming his mother for the divorce. He insists on sticking to his own plans instead of returning to Chicago. The stubborn resistance motivates Dutch to intervene personally.

Seeing an opportunity to connect with Doyle and be with Natalie, Dutch offers to go to Georgia and bring Doyle back to Chicago. He frames it as a chance for family reconciliation, though his real motive is to forge a bond with Doyle. The plan propels a cross-country road trip.

Dutch arrives in Georgia and meets Doyle, who is snobbish, selfish, and elitist, mirroring his father. In a fit of anger, Doyle throws a book, hits Dutch with a golf club, kicks him, and fires a BB gun at his groin. Dutch mounts restraint and carries Doyle toward the car to begin their trip home.

The cross-country trip descends into chaos, with a fireworks show ruining Dutch's coat and a lit cigar igniting Dutch's lap. The escalating chaos makes the journey feel more like a trial than a reunion. Dutch ends up forcing Doyle to walk to a motel after the disruptive episode.

Doyle escalates revenge by parking Dutch's car in the middle of the highway, where a truck destroys it. The duo then hitch rides with two prostitutes who steal their luggage and Dutch's wallet, leaving them stranded. The setback deepens their dependence on each other while highlighting their stubbornness.

Doyle calls Reed and discovers that his supposed London trip was a lie; Reed spent the holidays with a girlfriend. Dutch accuses Doyle of hating his mother, which stings and triggers Doyle's growing regret. The revelation begins a subtle shift in Doyle's attitude toward Natalie.

With no help in sight, Dutch and Doyle sneak aboard the back of a semi-truck. They are later confronted by security guards at a trailer yard, and Doyle pretends voices in his head urge him to kill, effectively frightening the guards into letting them go. The ruse keeps them moving toward Chicago.

They end up at a restaurant and are taken to a homeless shelter in Hammond, Indiana for the night. There, Doyle grows fond of a young girl and her family, and begins to realize he has neglected his mother and wants to be with her for the holidays. The shelter experience marks the first real emotional breakthrough between mother and son.

On Thanksgiving Day, the family drives Dutch and Doyle to Natalie’s home, where Reed waits. Dutch asserts his financial clout and helps the family, while Reed remains wary but accepts him. Doyle decides to stay with his mother rather than Reed, cementing the shift in loyalties.

Reed evicts Natalie from the house, and Dutch confronts him outside as he leaves. He asks Doyle to retrieve Dutch's coat, which contains a special gift for Natalie. As Doyle walks away, Dutch shoots Doyle in the groin with a BB gun, delivering his final, darkly comic revenge as the holiday ends.