Jason Bateman stars as Simon, who has just moved to hometown Los Angeles from Chicago with his wife Robyn and St. Bernard, Mr. Bojangles. Robyn has decided to stay at home to work while Simon heads off to corporate-land due to some unstable moments of paranoia and fear in her past, including the trauma of losing an unborn child before it came to term. While purchasing some items for their new home, Simon is approached by a man he once went to high school with, Gordon, and, out of politeness, 'Gordo', as he was once nicknamed in school, is invited over for dinner and to catch up with old times. Gordo tries to make peace, offering up such gifts as bottles fo wine, and new koi for their pond. Robyn finds him to be nice, if socially awkward, but something about Gordo begins to rub Simon the wrong way, which causes a bit of tension among the three, as well as some unsavory events of the past resurfacing that Robyn senses but can't put her finger on.