What Is In Lieu of Flowers About?
The premise of In Lieu of Flowers in 260 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a world where love’s bright moments have already passed, the film lingers on the quiet stretch that follows—a space marked by routine, unanswered messages and the steady rhythm of everyday life. The tone is introspective and gently melancholic, bathed in the soft light of coastal towns and the muted hum of city streets, inviting viewers to sit beside two strangers as they navigate the uneasy calm after loss.
Eric drifts through his days with a restless habit of running, a habit that mirrors his inner need to outrun the ache of a recent, sudden goodbye. He moves between minimal jobs and half‑finished conversations, his grief a background hum that colors every interaction. Across town, Rachel teaches elementary school, her days punctuated by the ordinary—classroom chatter, beach walks, and the lingering presence of a partnership that has already shifted. Both find themselves drawn to a modest support group, a quiet gathering that offers a place to name the unnamed and to sit beside others who understand the unspoken pause after love.
Their lives intersect in the most ordinary of settings—a coffee shop, a shoreline, a shared flyer—each encounter hinting at the possibility of connection without demanding it. The film’s style is soft‑focused yet precise, allowing the audience to feel the weight of unanswered questions and the tentative hope that may sprout in unexpected places. Through understated dialogue and lingering glances, the story explores how two people, each carrying their own concealed sorrow, might discover that the spaces between loss and new beginnings can be as revealing as any dramatic climax.
What Happens in In Lieu of Flowers?
The complete story of In Lieu of Flowers, from the first scene to the last, in 470 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 3 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Eric [Josh Pence] is lethargic and lost; he runs obsessively, in all weather. A voice mail from Melissa Rauch asks him to pick up his things from Gretchen’s apartment.
On a wind-swept beach we meet Rachel Spencer Grammer, an elementary school teacher. She takes a train into the city to go into a church, where the notice board announces a memorial service for Robert J. Austin.
Barreling around a corner, Eric pulls up short with a pain. As he stands with hands on knees outside the same church, he accepts a flyer: Lazarus Lives, a support group for the bereft.
Cut to Rachel on the train-ride home, enjoying a moment of banter with a fellow passenger that ends as he notices the wedding band she wears.
Eric is non-functional on guys’ night out, focused on a girl he sees at the bar, which triggers flash-backs to his time with Gretchen Bonnie Swencionis. He leaves after blowing up at his friend for being a jack-ass to the waitress, who is an old friend of Eric’s.
Meanwhile Rachel sits alone on the beach looking at photos of her and her husband. She throws them passionately into the surf, then runs to retrieve them.
Coming across the Lazarus Lives flyer, Eric attends a meeting, hearing Rachel tell her story. He listens only, giving his name, and acknowledging he’s been grieving the loss of his girlfriend for 2 months, only when pressed by the moderator. When asked how he lost her, he pauses before saying “suddenly”.
On leaving the group, he and Rachel pause to talk, then go their separate ways.
We see them in their routines: Rachel at school, dodging messages from a girlfriend, sitting on the beach. Eric lethargic, running, dodging more voice messages asking him to pick up his things, and visiting a dermatologist for some growths. He learns that they are the result of a sexually transmitted disease, and we see the realization that his girlfriend had to have gotten it from someone else and passed it to him. As he leaves the doctor’s office, Dr. Rice [Tom Bloom] provides a quiet backdrop to the moment, and we learn that Rachel is the doctor’s daughter.
Rachel and Eric run into each other at a coffee shop, and spend some time together. She tells him that on hearing her close girlfriend is engaged, Rachel offered to host an engagement party at her house in Sag Harbor, and she is now stressed about getting it all together. She declines his offer to help, but later calls and asks him to come out.
When Eric explains to his roommate Tony [Nate Corddry] how he met Rachel, Tony looks askance at him and says “You gotta tell her man. You have to explain about Gretchen.” Eric is evasive, and takes off on the train.
In Lieu of Flowers Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Eric's morning and Gretchen's belongings” to “Guy's night out and Gretchen flashbacks”. 12 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Eric's morning and Gretchen's belongings
We are introduced to Eric, lethargic and lost, as he runs in all weather. A voicemail from Melissa asks him to pick up his things from Gretchen's apartment, hinting at an unresolved breakup. This opening thread establishes his emotional state and the practical task ahead.
When:Morning Where:Eric's apartment
- 2
Rachel attends memorial notice and heads to the city
On a wind-swept beach, we meet Rachel, a teacher who travels into the city to attend a memorial service for Robert J. Austin. She discovers the service notice on a church bulletin, foreshadowing the grief to come. She boards a train, preparing to participate in the service.
When:Day Where:City church
- 3
Eric accepts a Lazarus Lives flyer
Barreling around a corner, Eric pulls up short with a pain outside the same church. He accepts a flyer for Lazarus Lives, a support group for the bereft, signaling a potential path toward healing. The moment foreshadows his later involvement with the group.
When:Day Where:Outside the church
- 4
Rachel on the train home
Cut to Rachel on the return train, sharing a light banter with a fellow passenger. The moment ends when he notices the wedding band she wears, hinting at her recent loss and the complexity of her life.
When:Evening Where:Train
- 5
Eric attends Lazarus Lives and meets Rachel
Eric attends the Lazarus Lives meeting and listens as Rachel tells her story. He introduces himself and admits that he has been grieving his girlfriend Gretchen for two months, a truth he reveals only when pressed by the moderator. Afterward, he and Rachel pause to talk briefly before going their separate ways.
When:Evening Where:Lazarus Lives meeting room
- 6
Rachel's school routine and private grief
We glimpse Rachel in her daily routine at school, dodging messages from a girlfriend and maintaining a professional exterior. The scenes contrast with the private grief she carries, subtly shaping her initial interactions with Eric. Her day feels steady yet weighed down by loss.
When:Day Where:School
- 7
Rachel on the beach with photographs
Later, Rachel sits on the beach looking at photos of her and her husband, reflecting on what she has lost. She throws them into the surf in a moment of passion, then frantically retrieves them, showing the pull between memory and moving forward.
When:Day Where:Beach
- 8
Eric's dermatology visit and STD diagnosis
Eric visits a dermatologist for growths and learns they are the result of a sexually transmitted disease. The realization that his girlfriend Gretchen may have contracted it from someone else and passed it to him forces a reckoning with infidelity and consequences. He leaves the office with a weighty new understanding of his situation.
When:Day Where:Dermatologist's office
- 9
Doctor's daughter reveal implied in clinic
As Eric leaves the doctor's office, the assistant mentions that the doctor's daughter is present, hinting at a connection to Rachel. Eric remains unaware of this link, creating dramatic irony as their worlds begin to intersect. The passing remark plants a thread that will matter later.
When:Same day Where:Dermatology clinic
- 10
Coffee shop meeting and Sag Harbor party
Eric and Rachel run into each other at a coffee shop and spend time talking. She explains she is hosting an engagement party at her Sag Harbor house and is overwhelmed by the preparation. She declines his offer to help, but later calls to invite him to join.
When:Evening Where:Coffee shop
- 11
Tony advises telling Rachel about Gretchen
Back at home, Eric explains to his roommate Tony how he met Rachel. Tony urges him to tell Rachel about Gretchen, saying it's necessary for honesty. Eric remains evasive and, frustrated, heads off on the train to clear his head.
When:Evening Where:Eric's apartment
- 12
Guy's night out and Gretchen flashbacks
On a guys' night out, Eric struggles to stay present and fixates on a girl at the bar. Flashbacks to time with Gretchen interrupt the moment, culminating in him exploding at a friend who is rude to the waitress. He storms out, leaving the group behind and deepening his isolation.
When:Night Where:Bar
Who Are the Main Characters in In Lieu of Flowers?
6 characters, among them Eric (Josh Pence), Rachel Austin (Spencer Grammer) and Gretchen (Bonnie Swencionis): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- E(
Eric (Josh Pence)
Played by Josh Pence
A lethargic, grieving man who channels pain into relentless running. He struggles to move past Gretchen, avoids discussing his past with others, and is drawn to the Lazarus Lives support group as a way to find footing in life again.
- 💔 Grief
- 🏃 Runner
- 🗝️ Denial
- RA
Rachel Austin (Spencer Grammer)
Played by Spencer Grammer
An elementary school teacher carrying her own quiet grief after her husband’s death. She moves through her days with a stubborn resilience, hosts an engagement party, and forms a tentative connection with Eric that tests her boundaries.
- 💔 Grief
- 👩🏫 Teacher
- 🌊 Resilience
- G(
Gretchen (Bonnie Swencionis)
Played by Bonnie Swencionis
Eric’s late girlfriend whose memory lingers in his mind and conversation. Her absence is felt through flashbacks and the sense that her choices affected Eric's current life.
- 💔 Lost Love
- 🌫️ Memory
- T(
Tony (Nate Corddry)
Played by Nate Corddry
Eric's roommate and friend who challenges him to reveal the truth about Gretchen. He provides blunt, sometimes skeptical, support as Eric navigates his feelings and future.
- 🤝 Friend
- 💬 Frankness
- 🧑🤝🧑 Support
- DR
Dr. Rice (Tom Bloom)
Played by Tom Bloom
A dermatologist who reveals that Eric’s recent skin growths stem from an STD. He also has a personal connection to Rachel, as the doctor’s daughter appears in the story without Eric realizing it.
- ⚕️ Doctor
- 🩺 Medical
-
Carrie (Melissa Rauch)
Played by Melissa Rauch
A person who leaves a voicemail for Eric asking him to pick up his things from Gretchen’s apartment, signaling the practical, unsettling reminders of loss that punctuate Eric’s days.
- ☎️ Voicemail
- 🕊️ Support
Where and When Is In Lieu of Flowers Set?
In Lieu of Flowers is set in Sag Harbor, NY, New York City and NY. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Sag Harbor, NY, New York City, NY
The film unfolds across a windy Long Island coast in Sag Harbor and scenes inside the city, anchored by a memorial at a church. Beach moments and small-town routines contrast with urban encounters, highlighting the characters' emotional journeys. The settings function as quiet backdrops to grief, connection, and secrecy.
- 🌊 Coastal
- 🏙️ Urban
- 🗺️ Setting
What Are the Themes of In Lieu of Flowers?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Grief & Healing, Love & Loss and Secrets & Truths.
-
01
Grief & Healing
The narrative centers on two people navigating loss after a partner’s death. Eric and Rachel attend a bereavement support group, sharing memories and silences that reveal the slow, non-linear path toward acceptance.
-
02
Love & Loss
Romantic impulses collide with unresolved pasts as Eric’s grief affects his new connection with Rachel. The story explores how sorrow reshapes desire, trust, and the possibility of rebuilding a life with someone new.
-
03
Secrets & Truths
Hidden pasts and fragile disclosures shape the evolving relationships. Eric’s evasions about Gretchen and the revelation that Rachel is connected to the doctor create tensions that test honesty and trust.
What Kind of Film Is In Lieu of Flowers?
Melancholic in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Low
A quiet, melancholic drama that follows two lost souls navigating the liminal space between profound loss and the tentative possibility of new connection.
- melancholic
- lonely
- reflective
- somber
- hopeful glimmers
- quiet
- grief and loss
- moving on
- emotional baggage
- support groups
Content notes: infidelity, sexually transmitted disease.
Quiz
How well do you remember In Lieu of Flowers? Test yourself on the story.
