Synecdoche, New York

Theater director Caden Cotard begins to feel the weight of various physical ailments that contribute to his growing isolation from his wife, Adele. As he deals with his health, tensions rise in their relationship, foreshadowing heartache ahead.

Adele decides to leave Caden for a new life in Berlin, taking their four-year-old daughter, Olive, with her. This decision deeply impacts Caden, leaving him feeling abandoned and adrift in an unraveling world.

Following the acclaim of his production of *Death of a Salesman*, Caden is surprised to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. This accolade grants him financial freedom, allowing him to pursue his artistic interpretations more boldly.

Driven by the desire to create something raw and honest, Caden begins assembling a diverse ensemble cast. They are tasked to live out their roles in a large warehouse in Manhattan's Theater District, reflecting the life outside.

While Caden immerses himself in his work, he learns that Adele has achieved recognition as a painter in Berlin. This realization intensifies his sense of loss and bitterness as he watches his family thrive without him.

Caden experiences an unsuccessful romantic encounter with Hazel, the box office attendant, which adds to his emotional turmoil. Despite the lack of connection, he later marries Claire, a member of his cast.

Caden's marriage to Claire produces a daughter, yet their relationship soon deteriorates. The struggle between his obligations to work, family, and his health creates a rift that seems insurmountable.

An unidentified ailment begins to afflict Caden, progressively affecting his autonomic nervous system. This deterioration serves as a metaphor for the chaos both in his life and the production itself.

The warehouse where Caden works transforms into a sanctuary, becoming more disconnected from the crumbling world outside. Caden dives deeper into his artistic creation, blurring the lines between performance and reality.

Sammy Barnathan, an actor fixated on Caden, is cast to play him in the production. Sammy's obsession not only complicates Caden's life but rekindles feelings in Hazel, leading to personal tragedies.

Just as Caden and Hazel find comfort in one another, tragedy strikes when Hazel dies from smoke inhalation in her constantly burning house. This loss plunges Caden into deeper grief and confusion about his choices.

Caden relinquishes his directing role, allowing an actress to lead the play while he assumes her previous position as Ellen's caregiver. He spends his days in a replica of Adele's apartment, signifying a retreat from reality.

As Caden immerses himself in the new creative process, the warehouse becomes a scene of chaos with unexpected disasters and casualties. This shifting atmosphere reflects Caden's deteriorating mental state and the unraveling of his world.

Eventually, Caden confronts his mortality, resting his head on the shoulder of an actress who played Ellen’s mother. This moment symbolizes his acceptance of the end while he shares his final vision for the play.

As Caden begins to communicate his artistic vision, he is interrupted by the director's command. This final cue, simply to 'Die,' encapsulates the culmination of Caden's journey—a direct confrontation with the end of his path.