The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Harold refuses because he views the faculty group show as beneath his status as a former professor. After decades of teaching and creating art, he considers participating in a lesser showcase to be a demotion that reflects poorly on his legacy. His pride prevents him from accepting what he perceives as an insult to his artistic career.

Foreshadowing: This refusal foreshadows Harold's later emotional breakdown at the MoMA retrospective, where he confronts his feelings of being overshadowed by more successful artists.

• harold
• bard college
• art exhibition
• pride
• artistic legacy

Harold flees because seeing Shapiro's successful retrospective triggers a painful realization about his own forgotten status in the art world. Shapiro, once his contemporary, now enjoys major acclaim while Harold feels invisible. The overwhelming atmosphere of celebration becomes too much for him to bear, causing him to escape emotionally.

Foreshadowing: Harold's reaction at MoMA directly connects to his earlier refusal to participate in the Bard show, both stem from his struggle to accept his place in the art community.

• harold
• l.j. shapiro
• moma
• art world
• retrospective
• jealousy

Matthewpushes for the sale because the property has become a financial burden. As a financial consultant, he recognizes that maintaining the large Manhattan townhouse is costly, especially given Harold's limited income and increasing medical needs. Matthew believes selling it would provide financial relief, though Harold insists the decision should remain within the family.

Foreshadowing: The conflict over the house represents the larger tension between Matthew's practical approach to life and Harold's emotional attachment to family legacy and artistic identity.

• matthew
• harold
• townhouse
• manhattan
• house sale
• financial burden

Julia apologizes because she regrets how her focus on her own life and career affected her role as a mother to Danny and Jean. During Harold and Matthew's visit, she candidly acknowledges her past shortcomings, expressing genuine remorse for not being more present or nurturing. This confession creates discomfort because it forces the family to confront painful memories they'd rather leave unspoken.

Foreshadowing: Julia's apology highlights the generational pattern of parental failure that runs through the family, echoing Harold's own failures as a father.

• julia
• harold
• apology
• mother
• regret
• family dysfunction

Jean reveals the traumatic memory because Harold's health crisis creates a moment of emotional vulnerability that lowers her defenses. The gravity of potentially losing her father without him knowing this painful part of her past compels her to share it with her brothers. She hopes that by speaking the truth, she might finally receive the understanding and support she never got as a child.

Foreshadowing: This revelation explains Jean's distant relationship with the family and her ongoing emotional struggles throughout the film.

• jean
• childhood trauma
• family friend
• hospital
• revelation
• abuse

Danny and Matthew choose to vandalize the car because their initial rage at learning about Jean's trauma naturally leads them to seek revenge. However, when they arrive at the man's home and see him as a helpless elderly person, their desire for violence dissipates. They settle on property damage as a compromise between their protective instincts and their inability to actually harm a vulnerable old man.

Foreshadowing: Their choice reflects the film's theme of failed protective actions, Jean wanted emotional support, not destructive revenge, which leads to her feeling betrayed by her brothers.

• danny
• matthew
• jean
• vandalism
• revenge
• car
• elderly man

The sculpture titled 'Matthew' is not actually about Matthew, Harold's son. During Harold's recovery at Maureen's residence, both he and Matthew realize the sculpture represents Harold's complicated feelings toward Danny. The piece embodies Harold's mix of love and resentment toward his eldest son, his favorite work is named after a different child than the one inspired it, symbolizing how Harold's emotional life often misfires or connects to the wrong person.

Foreshadowing: This revelation exposes the deep misalignment in Harold's emotional attachments and explains his difficult relationships with his children.

• harold
• matthew
• sculpture
• danny
• art
• emotional meaning
• misunderstanding

Danny's forgiveness develops gradually through the film. Initially bitter about Harold's neglect during his divorce and childhood, Danny reaches a turning point when he realizes that holding onto resentment only continues his own suffering. Matthew's invitation to California, combined with seeing Harold's vulnerability through his illness and the sculpture revelation, helps Danny understand that forgiveness is necessary for his own healing rather than for Harold's sake.

Foreshadowing: Danny's forgiveness arc parallels the film's broader theme of adult children reconciling with their father's imperfect legacy.

• danny
• harold
• forgiveness
• california
• reconciliation
• healing

Eliza's discovery of the believed-lost sculpture beneath The Whitney's foundation represents a literal and symbolic reconnection with family legacy. The sculpture, thought to be destroyed or lost, resurfaces just as the family is reconciling its complicated relationship with Harold's artistic career. This moment bridges the fragmented family history, showing that Harold's work, despite his perceived failures, has been part of the art world all along.

Foreshadowing: The discovery occurs at the climax, symbolizing how the younger generation (Eliva) can reclaim and reconnect with artistic heritage that older generations nearly lost.

• eliza
• harold
• sculpture
• whitney
• discovery
• legacy
• art

The title 'New and Selected' mirrors the format of a poetry collection, it suggests the family is presenting certain stories from their history while introducing new developments. Just as Harold's art career includes both new and selected works, the family gathering serves as an opportunity to revisit old wounds ('selected') while creating new moments ('new') that might redefine their future together.

Foreshadowing: The title sets up the film's structure, which moves between past family history and present confrontations, ultimately pointing toward potential renewal.

• title
• new and selected
• meaning
• family stories
• poetry collection
• narrative structure