How About You ...

Ellie Harris travels to the Woodlane residential home to seek employment as a carer. She meets residents and begins to settle into her new role. Her first interactions set the tone for a challenging but hopeful placement.

Ellie quickly befriends Alice, one of the residents, and starts spending more time talking with her. The friendship leads Ellie to neglect parts of her job and ignore some of the residents' expectations. Kate, Ellie's sister, grows annoyed as Ellie's focus shifts away from her formal responsibilities.

Against orders, Ellie takes Alice to the river to ease her pain and gives her marijuana. The action is a serious breach of care protocol and places both women at risk. The moment foreshadows the fragility of the care being provided.

The next day, Alice dies, leaving Ellie shaken and wondering about the consequences of her choices. The death exposes the consequences of bending rules, and questions about Ellie’s judgment begin to surface. Kate's trust in Ellie may be shaken.

Kate receives news that their mother has had a stroke and decides to go to her side. She asks Ellie to remain at Woodlane to cover the four long-term residents over the Christmas period. Ellie agrees, setting up a Christmas-focused dynamic with the ensemble.

Donald Vanston requests breakfast in his room at 6 o'clock rather than the dining room. Ellie confronts him and insists that meals be eaten with everyone in the dining room at the usual time of 8. The disagreement highlights the friction between a resident’s habits and the care home's routines.

Donald reveals that the nightly music is his late wife's favorite song, and that he regrets not sobering up before she died. He expresses loneliness and a longing for better memories. The moment deepens Ellie's understanding of the residents’ histories.

Heather demands that any letters addressed to her sister be kept from Hazel to avoid upsetting her. Ellie receives a letter for Hazel from the postman and discovers sketches and paintings in Hazel's room, revealing that Hazel is a talented artist. Hazel confronts Ellie in a tense moment that foreshadows further secrets.

Hazel's talent as an artist is confirmed through the paintings and sketches Ellie finds. Heather reveals that she has been writing as Hazel to locate her son Simon, who she was forced to give up for adoption. Hazel and Heather decide to meet Simon together in the new year, choosing to face the past as a family.

Georgia Platts talks about her late husband and how she returned to theatre after his death. She admits that life changed since she was young and that returning to Woodlane is a way to avoid being alone. She jokes that abusing everyone is 'part of the fun,' highlighting her brassy, provocative nature.

Ellie plans a Christmas dinner with all four residents, and they venture out to buy decorations and food. They visit the pub for a drink and the group shares Hazel's paintings on the wall. The night reinforces budding camaraderie as the residents prepare to celebrate together.

Back at Woodlane, Heather demonstrates a talent at playing pool as the group sings carols on the way home. The residents share a warm dinner together, and their earlier tensions begin to ease as they enjoy each other’s company. Ellie begins to see a potential for lasting camaraderie among the residents.

The next day Mr. Evans from the Department of Health arrives and is shocked that Kate would leave residents unattended. The residents insist they are a family and want to stay together, challenging the system. Donald invites Evans to stay for dinner, and he relents after hearing about the residents' bond.

After witnessing the evolving dynamics, Ellie tells Kate that she plans to leave Woodlane to spend time with their mother. Meanwhile, Heather continues gardening, Hazel paints outside, and Donald and Georgia hand out tea to boys raking the lawn. The residents’ independence has grown, even as Ellie’s own path diverges.

In a final scene, Donald and Georgia are seen dancing outside Woodlane, singing How About You?. The holiday atmosphere reinforces the newfound camaraderie among the residents and Ellie. The film closes on a note of warmth and acceptance within the unlikely family.