Other People 2016

David Mulcahey, a struggling comedy writer, returns to Sacramento to care for his mother Joanne after she is diagnosed with a rare leiomyosarcoma. The yearlong story follows the Mulcahey family as they face illness, shift their lives around Joanne’s treatment, and reckon with love, memory, and the fragility of family bonds.

Back at his childhood home, David reconnects with his conservative father Norman and his two younger sisters, Alexandra and Rebeccah. The renewed closeness is tempered by old tensions: Norman still struggles to accept David’s sexuality a decade after he came out, and the siblings harbor a mix of affection and distance. David has recently ended a relationship with his boyfriend, Paul, but to spare Joanne’s feelings, he tells the family they are still together. Along the way, he rekindles a connection with his high school friend Gabe and meets Gabe’s flamboyant adopted brother Justin, which adds color and complication to the household dynamic.

Joanne undergoes chemotherapy, though she hates the treatment and ultimately decides to quit when it proves ineffective. In a heartfelt moment, she apologizes to David for her earlier reaction to his coming out, and he forgives her, recognizing the courage it takes to navigate love and acceptance within a family that is learning to adapt.

In July, Joanne and the family travel to New York for David’s improv show, where an artistic director hints at a new opportunity for him to write for television. Encouraged, David begins drafting a spec script for an ABC show. He frames a trip to Paul’s apartment as a sign that he and Paul are still together, though Norman refuses to go inside. The unresolved tension between David and his father surfaces as David spends the night with Paul, underscoring the ongoing challenge of Norman’s acceptance.

As October arrives, Joanne’s health deteriorates and she enters hospice care. David experiences a painful meltdown while buying medicine for her, and at a choir practice he angrily learns another writer has been chosen for the ABC position. When Norman follows him outside, David confronts the truth about his breakup with Paul, questions what the future holds after Joanne’s death, and makes it clear that Paul will attend Joanne’s funeral.

One intimate night, Joanne slips in the shower and David helps her, leading to a quiet, intimate moment. Joanne confides in him, saying she sees herself in each of her children and offering guidance about coping with her absence. She asks David to remember this when he misses her: “When you miss me and you want to see me, you just come home and see your sisters.” David tearfully promises to look after Alexandra and Rebeccah, embracing his mother’s mortality with newfound resolve.

In December, Joanne dies peacefully with her family by her side. Norman arranges to bring Paul to Sacramento, paying for his plane ticket, signaling a reluctant but meaningful step toward healing and reconciliation. The film closes with David joining Norman, Alexandra, and Rebeccah in a shared bedroom where they all drift into sleep, the kind of quiet, ordinary moment that follows profound loss.