Max Dugan Returns

In Venice, Michael McPhee wakes his mother Nora, a widowed high school English teacher, as she grades papers. They leave their ramshackle house for school in her dilapidated Volvo. Later that morning, their car is stolen, throwing their plans into disarray.

Nora informs detective Brian Costello about the stolen car and asks for assistance. He offers to drive her to work, showing practical concern for her situation. This encounter foreshadows Brian’s growing involvement in the family’s affairs.

At Venice High School, Nora tells her students they must redo the test they took earlier, underscoring the day’s disruptions. She balances authority with the strain of sudden upheaval in her personal life. The moment highlights her commitment to fairness despite the chaos.

Brian lends Nora a motorcycle since she cannot afford a replacement. They spend the evening with Brian teaching her how to operate it, a practical pivot to their new reality. The lesson deepens the bond between Nora and Brian, blurring professional boundaries.

Late that night, Nora’s estranged father Max Dugan returns and stands at her door. He reveals a fatal heart condition and offers his estate, confessing to stealing from a mafia-controlled casino years earlier. The revelation unsettles Nora and starts a moral and financial whirlwind.

The next morning, Max introduces himself to Michael as Mr. Parker, the new tenant in the guest room. Nora initially accepts his story but later questions the alias and the truth behind his sudden reappearance. The household is unsettled as Max settles in under a new name.

At Venice High, Celia is caught passing answers to Maria, framed as a family duty. Later that afternoon, Nora and Michael return home to find new appliances and a modern entertainment system that Max calls prizes. Nora demands that Max return the items and asserts control over the situation.

Max privately reintroduces himself to Michael as Gus Wittgenstein, cellmate of the late Max Dugan. He explains that his plan is to leave Michael an inheritance and to live more freely. Nora grows wary of the alias and the money, but she cannot fully resist his generosity.

A diamond necklace appears on Nora's dressing table, and she softens toward Max’s largesse. She rationalizes the sudden windfall as a gift, even as Brian remains suspicious and questions the sources. The money begins to influence how she treats her relationships and choices.

During a dinner with Brian, Nora tries to normalize the changes in her life while warily keeping secrets. That evening, Charley Lau’s name surfaces as he is paid by Max to coach Michael in batting, illustrating how money opens doors. The bond between money, mentorship, and family tightens.

Following baseball practice the next day, Charley Lau introduces himself to Michael and teaches him proper batting technique. The coaching signals Michael’s growing skill and anchors the influence of Max’s wealth in his sport. Place: Venice High baseball field.

The house undergoes a remodel and a Great Dane named Plato arrives, symbolizing Max’s lavish generosity. Nora gradually gives in to the windfall, blurring the line between gratitude and dependence. The new life feels both exciting and precarious.

Trailing Max to a bank, Brian learns that Max has deposited $400,000 in cash in Nora's name and suspects Nora of involvement. She feigns outrage and refuses to discuss the matter, trying to shield Michael from the truth. The money becomes a catalyst for suspicion among the adults.

Nora informs Michael of Max’s true identity, and Max departs with a videocassette explaining his plans. He intends to spend his remaining days on a beach in Brazil and donate part of the money to them. The farewell marks the end of his direct involvement, though his wealth lingers.

At a Venice High School baseball game against Santa Monica High, Michael hits the winning homerun, signaling his talent and the family’s complicated alliance with Max’s money. After the game, Nora finally tells Brian everything, but their car is missing. They see Max driving it away, waving goodbye as he departs.