Griffin in Summer

Griffin Nafly spends his summer drafting his new play, Regrets of Autumn, a divorce drama inspired by his parents' troubles. He describes it as a mash-up of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and American Beauty and dreams of staging it on Broadway. The project occupies his thoughts as the season unfolds, shaping his summer plans.

Helen hires Brad Rizzo, a 25-year-old handyman and aspiring actor, to fix the family pool. Griffin is immediately annoyed by the loud techno music blasting from Brad's headphones while he works. Despite the tension, Griffin starts noticing Brad's charm and his sensitivity to art.

Griffin develops a crush on Brad and begins to bond with him over their shared love of art. He even offers Brad liquor from his parents' cabinet to get closer, crossing lines in his enthusiasm. The two men form a tentative friendship as they discuss Griffin's play and Brad's acting dreams.

Griffin stakes out Brad at a bar, hoping to gauge his availability for the project. He learns Brad has a girlfriend, Chloe, complicating his plan to cast him. Undeterred, Griffin keeps pursuing a role for Brad and continues to push the production forward.

Griffin fires Tyler and offers Brad the lead role, provided he will be paid. Brad tentatively agrees, and his addition forces changes to the script and the group’s dynamics. Kara voices concerns about the shifts, and Griffin responds by insulting Kara and her boyfriend.

Griffin creates an anonymous email persona, 'Glenn Bening', and sends a sexually explicit message to Brad to shake his relationship with Chloe. Chloe discovers the email and breaks up with Brad, sending him spiraling emotionally. The incident exposes Griffin's volatile ambition behind the scenes.

Brad vents to Griffin by a lakeside, confessing that he feels like a failure and that Griffin may be his only friend. He reveals the weight of moving back to the suburbs and the fear that his dream may be slipping away. Griffin offers reassurance, insisting Brad is not a loser and that their friendship matters.

Brad moves back to New York City after the breakup, and Griffin texts him that he can't do the play. In a spontaneous move, Griffin travels to NYC to find Brad, locating him at his apartment and confessing his romantic feelings and hopes for a future together. Brad bluntly rejects him, saying he is not gay and asking Griffin to leave.

A distraught Griffin calls his mother Helen, and they work toward reconciliation. He admits transferring money from Helen's bank account to Brad to help him, and Helen haltingly forgives him. He also makes up with Kara, acknowledging the damage his actions caused to the group.

Griffin apologizes sincerely to Tyler, Pam, and Winnie, and the cast agrees to return to the production. Kara urges him to repair the relationships and keep faith in the group's shared artistic goal. The team begins to reassemble for the delayed rehearsal process.

The friends debut the revised Regrets of Autumn at a community center, with Griffin having adjusted lines to reflect his growth and moving on from Brad. The performance reintroduces the cast to the town and marks Griffin's maturation as writer and organizer. The audience receives the play with warmth and curiosity.

Winnie introduces Griffin to her friend Mark, who expresses appreciation for Griffin's work. Griffin invites Mark to join the cast for the afterparty at his house, and the night ends with all friends happily swimming in the pool. Seeing the new sense of belonging and artistic possibility, Griffin joins the celebration.