Humor Me

Nate Kroll, a playwright, loses his job, his wife Nirit, and his home. With little option left, he moves into his father Bob's retirement-community. The upheaval sets the stage for a clash between old routines and new ambitions.

Bob lands Nate a job in the retirement home's laundry. Nate is immediately marked for trouble when Ellis, his retired military boss, fires him shortly after. The setback pushes Nate toward the community’s social world and the theater project.

While wandering the facility, Nate discovers the Cranberry Bog Players, a small group planning to stage The Mikado. He senses an opportunity to channel his talents as a director. This discovery plants the seed for his future involvement.

Connie explains she started using to cope with chemotherapy, and she recounts Bob’s weekly volunteering in the cancer ward. She proposes that Nate direct the Mikado, inviting him into the project. The conversation links Nate to the residents’ struggles and to the coming production.

At the preliminary meeting, four women attend and Dee’s daughter Allison stands out. Allison invites Nate to dinner at Dee’s home. She reveals she’s detoxed, is a musician, and is considering moving to Seattle to teach music.

Helen takes an interest in Nate, but he skillfully dodges her. Ellis chases after them on a golf-cart while Nate and Allison slip away. Nate convinces Helen to consider giving Ellis a chance for the play to work.

Nate begins walking with his father during power-walk sessions and starts sharing his manuscript with Allison for proofing. Rehearsals progress, and Nate’s collaboration with the cast deepens. He also has nightly Skype calls with his son Gabe in France.

The Cranberry Bog Players discover a video of Nate’s successful screenplay and arrange a viewing at Bob’s. Bob loses his temper and shuts the video off, then suffers a medical crisis and slips into a coma. The hospital drama forces Nate to rethink his priorities.

Connie hands Nate the key to a storage locker filled with his mother’s belongings. The discovery promises to reveal family history that could influence the show.

Allison confronts Nate about quitting; she says the new screenplay is good but unfinished and implies his withdrawal affected it. The confrontation pushes Nate to examine his commitment to the project.

At the hospital, Nate and Connie tell jokes to Bob, and he starts responding. The bedside humor helps keep him conscious, and soon he begins to wake from the coma. The moment reinforces the connection between humor, family, and healing.

Nate returns to the home and asks to come back, agreeing to make adjustments to the show. He reintegrates with the cast and moves the project forward. The production gains momentum and a new tone emerges.

Opening night arrives and the revised Mikado receives praise from a producer who had pulled out earlier. The performance blends clever slapstick with sexual innuendo, winning the audience’s approval. The success validates Nate’s renewed commitment.

Connie arrives backstage with Gabe and discusses divorce plans, including joint custody. She mentions money earned in France and outlines the new terms for their family. Gabe’s introduction to Allison expands Nate’s circle of support.

The film closes with a playful montage: a playbill for Nate’s opening show, Gabe taking piano lessons with Allison, dress rehearsals near the pool, and Bob, Nate, and Gabe cannonballing into the water. It marks a new sense of belonging and shared joy within the community.