Other People

David Mulcahey drives back to his childhood home in Sacramento after his mother's cancer diagnosis, initiating a year of caregiving and family dynamics in motion. He must balance the demands of his mother's illness with underlying tensions among his relatives as he navigates his own life as a gay man within a complicated family setting.

Back in Sacramento, David reconnects with his conservative father Norman and his sisters Alexandra and Rebeccah. Old resentments resurface, particularly Norman's reluctance to fully accept David's sexuality, straining the family’s fragile harmony.

To avoid upsetting Joanne, David tells the family he and Paul are still a couple, masking a recent breakup. The lie underscores the pressure he faces to protect his mother's mood while his own relationship status remains unstable.

David reconnects with his high school friend Gabe and meets Gabe's flamboyant adopted brother Justin, expanding his social circle and introducing new dynamics into the otherwise tight-knit Sacramento circle.

Joanne continues chemotherapy but grows to hate the treatment and ultimately quits. In a candid conversation about stopping the therapy, she apologizes for her earlier reaction to David's coming out, and he forgives her, choosing to prioritize their relationship.

The family travels to New York to attend David's improv showcase, where an artistic director hints at a possible ABC writing job. Inspired, David begins drafting a spec script and plots a potential next step in his career.

To maintain the illusion that David and Paul are still a couple, the family visits Paul's apartment, but Norman refuses to enter. The awkward moment deepens David's sense of being misunderstood by his father and heightens the secrecy around their relationship.

After meeting with the artistic director, David begins work on a spec script and discusses the path forward with Paul. He remains anxious about whether his career ambitions can align with his family's acceptance as Joanne's illness progresses.

In October, Joanne's condition rapidly deteriorates and she is placed in hospice. David experiences mounting stress and a meltdown while trying to secure medicine and cope with the looming loss.

During choir practice, David learns another writer has been chosen for the ABC position and lashes out in anger. Norman follows him outside the church, and David confronts him about his denial of David's sexuality and asserts that Paul will attend Joanne's funeral.

One night, Joanne slips in the shower and David helps her, creating a quiet, intimate moment. She tells him she sees herself in each of her children and urges him to visit his sisters when he misses her; David promises to care for Alexandra and Rebeccah and they share an emotional embrace.

In December, Joanne dies peacefully with her family by her side. Norman pays for Paul's plane ticket to Sacramento, signaling a fragile step toward reconciliation. The film ends with David joining his family in a bedroom, all sleeping together as a sign of continued togetherness after loss.