Fathers' Day 1997

In this road-trip dramedy, a restless 16-year-old named Scott Andrews runs away with his girlfriend Nikki, pulling two very different men into a shared quest that grows into an uneasy partnership. Scott’s mother, Collette, reveals to her ex, the lawyer Jack Lawrence, that Scott might be his son and pushes the idea that he should help locate him. At first, Jack resists, but when work keeps him overnight in San Francisco, he begins to reconsider his role in this unexpected parenting mystery. Meanwhile, another former lover, writer Dale Putley, gets a call from Collette that mirrors the same heart-wrenching claim, and he too finds himself drawn into the search.

The two men discover they have been spoken to by the same woman about the same missing boy, and misreading the situation, they initially think there are two boys involved. Realizing their error—but recognizing that Collette’s story has somehow bridged their paths—they decide to join forces rather than compete. Their first steps lead them to Nikki’s home front, where they learn that Nikki’s road trip led toward a tour with the rock band Sugar Ray, and that the adults around them have pieces of the puzzle too. When they meet Nikki’s mother, Shirley, the truth about the family dynamics comes into sharper focus, and the men finally understand how entwined the fates of Nikki and Scott really are.

Armed with questions and a growing sense of camaraderie, Jack and Dale chase leads up the West Coast toward Sacramento, where they eventually locate Scott. He’s there, not in a safe, happy place, but intoxicated by youth, love, and a hint of trouble—as Nikki is by his side. The revelation that either man might be the father is met with mixed feelings and a shared sense of responsibility. The trio returns to a hotel room where the tension between truth and hope lingers; Scott’s teen heartbreak over Nikki’s choices adds to the complexity of the situation, and the men vow to help him navigate the fallout. Yet their plan is disrupted when the drug world closes in: two dealers who have already been burned by Scott’s earlier schemes spot him, and danger escalates quickly.

A desperate night unfolds as the trio races to protect Scott. They manage to get him to safety, and while the situation loosens its grip for a moment, the danger lingers: the dealers intensify their pursuit, the hotel becomes a chaotic crossroads, and the uneasy alliance between Jack Lawrence and Dale Putley is tested to its limits. In the furor, the boys are separated and then stubbornly drawn back together by a shared sense of loyalty. They head toward Reno for another chance to catch up with Nikki at Sugar Ray’s next gig, hoping to untangle the truth from circumstance and sentiment.

In Reno, Scott crosses paths with Nikki again and confronts the reality of their relationship—love, promise, and the looming shadow of parental expectations. He also finds himself entangled with two drug dealers who previously owe him a debt; a tense exchange escalates, and in the ensuing chaos, Jack and Dale collide with the duo in a dramatic, crowded confrontation that spills out into the concert arena. The next day, a liberated—but exhausted—group returns home. Back with Collette, her husband’s perspective shifts: the truth about whether Jack or Dale is Scott’s father remains unresolved, but the emotional stakes have changed the way they view family, responsibility, and the idea of belonging.

Following the emotional homecoming, Scott encounters a quiet moment of truth: he decides to tell both men—separately and privately—that either could be his father, a bold lie meant to spare everyone pain while also inviting a new sense of hope. Jack, who recognizes the falsity of the claim, accepts the gesture with a complicated mix of relief and tenderness, and he allows himself to imagine a future where having children might be a meaningful, rather than frightening, prospect. As the credits hover on the horizon, Dale encounters a single woman named [Virginia], who is also headed toward San Francisco and who will share a ride with him, a small closing note of possibility that hints at new beginnings beyond the stories already told.

This story is anchored by a blend of humor, heartache, and the messy beauty of imperfect families learning to face the truth together. The performances weave warmth and wit into a sentimental road map, tracing how strangers can become allies, how secrets can reshape relationships, and how the chance to truly belong can redefine what it means to be a parent.