Solitary Man

At the film's start, 54-year-old Ben Kalmen sits for his annual medical check-up in the New York area. The doctor notes an irregularity in his EKG and recommends a CAT scan to assess his heart. Ben's tone remains defiant as he considers how aging should change his reckless life.

Six years pass and Ben's fortune has drastically declined. He relies on oral medications but never completes the prescribed heart tests. The loss of his perceived immortality fuels a self-destructive streak of lies, illicit affairs, and risky business decisions, leaving him broke.

Ben accompanies Allyson to her college interview at a Boston campus, where he remains a celebrated alumnus and donor. The setting highlights his lingering need for attention and his compromised ethics, even as he tries to act supportive.

On campus, Ben meets Daniel, an impressionable student who appreciates his wisdom and guidance. The encounter shows that despite his flaws, Ben still wields influence and seeks validation.

That night, Ben and Allyson sleep together, crossing a sharp moral line and complicating both of their lives. The relationship exposes a clash between Allyson's world and Ben's aging, hungry for vitality.

Back in New York, Ben reveals he wants to continue the relationship, but Allyson dismisses it as a one-time experiment. Jordon reacts with fury, breaks off contact, and withdraws support, threatening to derail a new auto dealership Ben hoped to open. His personal and professional prospects grow bleaker.

Facing eviction, Ben talks with the building manager about overdue rent. Susan arrives and declares that he is no longer welcome in the family, citing past indiscretions and unreliability.

With nowhere else to turn, Ben asks his college friend Jimmy Marino to hire him at a campus diner. The job is meant to stabilize his finances and reconnect him to his old network.

Allyson discovers Ben working at the diner near her campus. The discovery deepens the rift between them and intensifies the sense that Ben is spiraling out of control.

Ben receives a demand from Jordon to leave town immediately, threatening to use Allyson's father's connections. The pressure mounts as his situation becomes more precarious.

At a college party, Ben recognizes a diner customer and makes a sexual advance toward Maureen, Daniel's girlfriend. An ex-police officer, hired by Allyson's father, retaliates with a brutal beating, ending the party's facade of control.

After a talk with Jimmy, Ben collapses and is rushed to the hospital, where Susan sits by his bedside. He eventually leaves the hospital against medical advice, seeking to salvage what remains.

Ben apologizes to Daniel and reunites with Nancy at the bench where they first met. Nancy reveals that she knows about his medical condition and his pattern of self-destructive behavior, while Ben confesses that aging has made him feel invisible. She reminds him that there is no excuse, yet offers him a ride back to the city.

In the final moment, Nancy waits in the car as Ben contemplates his future. A young woman walks past in the opposite direction, and Ben glances between them before standing and looking into the camera, leaving his next move unresolved.