The Wool Cap

Charles Gigot, a lonely hearing-impaired, alcoholic superintendent in New York City, meets Lou and her mother Arlene. He is unsettled by the disruption she brings to his solitude, yet he agrees to look after her when Arlene leaves Lou in his care for an indefinite period. The arrangement marks the start of a fragile, uneasy relationship.

Lou's back-talking and brash attitude test Gigot's spartan, solitary life. He struggles to maintain distance; his only known friends are Grace the monkey and Gloria the prostitute, illustrating his isolation. The clash sets the tone for their early rivalry.

They learn Lou's aunt Cheryl lives in Philadelphia, but she cannot take Lou. The attempt to place Lou with Cheryl reveals that Cheryl and Arlene despise each other and do not view Lou as a relative. Realizing this, Gigot concludes that finding Arlene is the only viable option.

Pursuing Arlene's contacts, Gigot discovers an apartment building that is a crack house and learns Arlene has fallen into drug addiction. The discovery shows there is no simple solution, and he decides to return home with Lou. The setback intensifies the danger surrounding Lou.

Gigot is robbed at a diner and, to raise enough money for bus tickets, he is forced to stage a sideshow featuring Grace and Lou. The event forces him to perform publicly, momentarily stepping out of his comfort zone. This episode marks a turning point in their bond.

Lou comes to live with Gigot, and her influence starts to soften his bitterness and curb his drinking. He begins helping her with school, discovering she is nearly illiterate and two years older than her classmates. A tentative father-daughter relationship grows between them.

Local thugs poison Grace in reprisal, and Gigot and Lou grieve together. The tragedy strengthens their bond and motivates Lou to pursue an education more earnestly under Gigot's guidance.

Police inform Gigot that Arlene has died from an overdose. He struggles to shield Lou from the truth, but ultimately reveals it during a trip to a theme park, triggering Lou's grief and a deeper sense of loss.

Seeking someone to take Lou, Gigot reconnects with his Vietnam buddy Clarence, who with his wife Bess is retired, leaving Gigot with no viable foster option. The State arrives to claim Lou, forcing him to consider becoming a foster parent himself.

Gigot's legal troubles (jail time) prevent him from becoming a foster parent, and a marriage proposal to Gloria is refused, blocking his path to Lou's guardianship. He remains stuck between his past and a possible future with Lou.

Desperate, Gigot visits his parents after 28 years and learns his mother has died and his father has remarried. He confronts the reality that his Vietnam trauma fueled his alcoholism and isolation, and the wool cap belonged to his late sister who died in a car accident when he was drunk and at the wheel.

On Christmas Day, Gigot abandons the past, visits a church and breaks down, signaling a reset. He returns home to find his father and stepmother waiting, and they share an embrace that hints at a repaired relationship. The moment signals the possibility of rebuilding the family and moving toward Lou's future.

Later that evening, Gigot visits Lou at juvenile hall and tells her, in sign language, that he wants to adopt her. Lou's silent, wordless acceptance seals their intention to become a family.

The film jumps forward to winter as Gigot manages his father's business and Lou has become an excellent student. They drive off together, joyful at having found one another and their new life.