An estranged father and daughter embark on a road trip — each hiding secret motives — but as unexpected detours and the dad’s quirky caretaker draw them closer, they rediscover what it means to be a family.

SYNOPSIS:

Twelve-year-old Rae Morris dedicates her Bat Mitzvah to her recently deceased mom, but her day is ruined when her father, Martin, shows up late, brings a date and accidentally gives Rae a bloody nose causing her to vomit on stage. Years later, Rae is a fiercely independent, competitive and ambitious attorney who is estranged from her father and crushed by student debt. Martin hates that Rae is a “bottom-feeding” attorney and believes that she is squandering her talents by practicing law. Rae is gunning for promotion and trying to save her job by winning a competition landing a big client for her firm. Rae reaches out to her father for the first time in years in a bid to win his business, Morris Industries. To Rae’s surprise, Martin takes her out to dinner and invites her to take a road trip with him, like they did when she was a kid. He explains that he’s hitting the road to try unorthodox anti-aging treatments. Since time with Martin will give her a chance to pitch him, Rae accepts.

The road trip gets off to a rocky start when Martin brings along his hot, new, fun-loving aid/driver, José. Rae resists José’s humor and charm but Jose eases the tension with her father and breaks down the walls guarding her heart. Rae learns to let her hair down with José, finding absurdity and laughter when Martin tries bizarre ‘cures’ from Shamans to crystals with wolves, to a healing service at a church in Alabama. José is commitment phobic, but being with Rae has him thinking about the future and caring for Martin has him considering a career in nursing. Rae notices her dad limping and struggling with tasks, but he assures her that it’s simply ageing with a bit of arthritis in his hand and leg. Rae senses there is something amiss, but brushes the feeling aside, focused on securing his legal work and winning the competition.

When a spider-venom treatment takes them near a casino, Martin shares his bucket list item of playing craps again. Martin fears that his chance to play has passed since he cannot stand for long. With Rae egging him on, they go to Home Depot and build a platform so Martin can see into the craps pit while sitting. Rae, Martin and José have a blast at the casino with dice rolling and liquor flowing. Rae’s boss calls and José grabs Rae’s phone to tells him off but inadvertently gives Rae’s boss the impression that Morris Industries is moving all its legal business to the firm. José kisses Rae with pent-up passion. Overwhelmed by the kiss, Rae goes out for air leaving Martin and José to get friendly with another player who gives them weed-laced gummy bears. When the munchies kick in, Martin and José go wild in a Seven-Eleven, landing Martin and José in jail.

Rae wakes up hungover and to messages of congratulations from the partners at her firm for securing Morris Industries’ legal business. She panics, uncertain what José told her boss the night before. Martin calls from jail asking her to bail him and José out. Rae realizes that she does not have enough money for bail. Humiliated, Rae begrudgingly calls Delilah for help. Delilah meets Rae at the police station and get Martin and Jose released. When Rae interrogates José about his conversation with her boss, Martin overhears that the only reason she went on the road trip was to land his business. Martin is furious. Her conduct fits his worst ideas of a parasitic attorney. Rae begs her father’s help to save her job, but Martin refuses, claiming it will teach her a lesson. Rae launches into Martin with years of unexpressed anger, resentment and feelings of abandonment. Delilah intercedes, telling Rae that this is no way to treat a dying man, Martin has ALS; a fatal, crippling disease. Rae is devastated about her dad’s ALS and feels betrayed that her dad didn’t tell her and that José knew and hid it from her. Rae drives off.

On the road, Rae realizes that her time with Martin and José has changed her. She cannot go back to the lonely, career-driven life she led before. Her priorities have shifted. There are other jobs, but she has only one father. Rae tells her boss the truth, knowing that she’s probably fired. Expecting nothing in return, Rae offers Martin and Delilah her support while facing ALS. Martin and Delilah apologize for how they treated Rae growing up. Rae asks for a do-over with the time they have left, wanting to be a real family. Martin and Delilah jump at the chance. Rae allows herself to be emotionally vulnerable with José, who commits to their relationship wholeheartedly. Months later, Rae finally has her Bat Mitzvah, with José by her side and Martin and Delilah cheering her on.

DO-OVER