Nick Flynn (Paul Dano) is a young writer seeking to define himself. His father Jonathan (Robert de Niro), however, scrapes through life on his own terms and has not seen his son in 18 years. Taking a job at a homeless shelter, Nick finds purpose in his own life and work until one night Jonathan arrives seeking a bed. To give the two of them a shot at a real future, Nick wrestles with the notion of reaching out to his dad.