Bob Munro, Robin Williams, is a highly successful beverage company executive based in California, but despite his professional achievements, he faces ongoing struggles within his family. His wife Jamie, played by Cheryl Hines, is materialistic and somewhat self-centered, while their teenage daughter Cassie, who has a sharp tongue, often clashes with her father. Their young son Carl, a teenage weightlifter with a love for hip hop, is lively and curious, but both kids are absorbed in their electronic devices, leaving little room for family conversations or bonding.
The family’s life takes an unexpected turn during a company picnic, which becomes a chaotic and humorous scene. Cassie had invited her friend Gretchen, who is quite militant in her beliefs, and during the event, Gretchen causes a scene by throwing a tub of disgusting slime onto Bob’s boss, Todd, played by Will Arnett. Todd is depicted as a lecherous, controlling boss who has dubious intentions, including a plan to acquire the Alpine Soda company located in Boulder, Colorado. He sees Bob as an obstacle and threatens to fire him if he doesn't endorse the takeover, especially after Gretchen’s stunt embarrasses Todd in front of everyone at the picnic.
Because of Todd's demands, Bob is forced to go to Boulder to personally present a merger proposal. This cancellation of their planned family vacation to Hawaii leaves Bob feeling disappointed as he cannot reschedule due to the kids’ summer commitments. To keep the true purpose of the trip hidden, Bob rents an RV from a shady dealer, Irv, and tells his family they are headed for the Rockies, planning to secretly attend the business meeting.
The journey to Boulder is filled with humorous misadventures. Bob's lack of experience with driving such a large vehicle results in multiple mishaps, including accidental collisions and damage to the RV’s parking brake, which forces the family to use large stones to prevent the vehicle from rolling. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles, such as sewer tank overflows, a ruined sewer hose causing a spill, and a raccoon infestation they attempt to fumigate with stink bombs. During their travel, they meet another family, the Gornickes, consisting of Travis and Mary Jo Gornicke, played by Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth, respectively, along with their children Earl, Billy, and Moon. Earl quickly develops a romantic interest in Cassie, while Carl begins to like Moon. However, the adults find the Gornickes’ eccentricities overwhelming and decide to distance themselves, leading to humorous misunderstandings as the Gornickes seem to be stalking them at different stops.
Adding to the chaos, Bob struggles to keep his business intentions secret. In a desperate attempt to send the merger proposal, he works from restrooms and ultimately gets his only working device, a BlackBerry PDA, to upload the document after his laptop is stolen by a hitchhiker. The Gornickes eventually recover the stolen laptop and help pursue the family to return it.
Despite the setbacks, the family begins to enjoy themselves as they approach Colorado, reconnecting over the beautiful scenery and moments of family bonding. Bob, determined to attend the meeting, fakes an illness to distract everyone and sends them on a hike. When the family finally arrives at Alpine Soda’s headquarters, Bob’s successful presentation convinces the company to consider going national independently rather than merging with Todd's conglomerate.
However, the situation escalates as Bob rushes to attend a second larger presentation, navigating dangerous off-road trails that result in the RV getting stuck atop a boulder. After a series of frantic efforts, including rocking the RV until it slides free, Bob barely makes it back to his family and the meeting just in time. During the subsequent presentation, Bob has a change of heart and recommends that the company remain independent, realizing Todd's greed would ruin something special. This decision causes Todd to become furious, and after a scuffle, Bob is fired but quits on his own. The family retrieves the damaged RV from the lake, though the adventure leaves them exhausted and wiser about each other.
In the end, the owners of Alpine Soda make an offer for Bob to run the company independently, emphasizing integrity over greed. Meanwhile, the RV's parking brake fails once more, causing the vehicle to roll back uncontrollably, leading to humorous chaos as it flattens a police car and the company's cars, symbolizing the unpredictable and comedic nature of their journey.
Throughout the movie, What's After the Movie shares a story of family, adventure, and personal growth wrapped in comedy, expertly blending mishaps with heartfelt moments to depict a humorous yet sincere picture of modern family life.
