Plot

In 1973, when Frank Bledsoe and his 18-year-old niece Beth take a road trip from Manhattan to Creekville, South Carolina, for the family patriarch's funeral, they're unexpectedly joined by Frank's lover, Walid.

In 1973, 18-year-old Beth Bledsoe moves from her home in Creekville, South Carolina, to attend college in New York City. Her uncle Frank Bledsoe is a college professor there, and is the relative she feels closest to as he is more refined and thoughtful than the rest of the family.

In 1973, 18-year-old Beth Bledsoe (Sophia Lillis) moves from her home in Creekville, South Carolina, to attend college in New York City. Beth's family includes grandmother Mammaw (Margo Martindale), Aunt Butch (Lois Smith), Aunt Neva (Jane McNeill), Father Mike (Steve Zahn), mother Kitty (Judy Greer). The family is totally dysfunctional, and Beth's only savior is the annual holiday visits from Uncle Frank. Daddy Mac (Stephen Root), Beth's grandfather was always very mean to Uncle Frank, and she never could figure out why. Frank was of good nature and polite to everyone.

When Beth was 14, she told Frank that she wanted to study in NYU. and Frank advised her to keep up her grades and focus on her SATs.

Frank Bledsoe (Paul Bettany) is a college professor at NYU and is the relative she feels closest to as he is more refined and thoughtful than the rest of the family. When Mike and Kitty visit Frank to drop off Beth, they are introduced to his girlfriend Charlotte. No one in the family ever heard of Charlotte, even though she claims to be with Frank for over 5 years.

Beth meets a boyfriend, Bruce (Colton Ryan) (who is taking the same courses as Beth in literature) and shows up with him unannounced to a party at Frank's apartment. Through events that happen at the party (Beth meets Wally, who says he is Frank's roommate. Bruce meets Frank and says Beth thinks of him as her boyfriend, but Bruce doesn't. Bruce basically tells Frank that he too is gay. Frank throws Bruce out of the party), she discovers that Frank is secretly gay and has been living with a man named Walid ("Wally") (Peter Macdissi) for over ten years. Frank rejects the sexual advance on Bruce's part, caring for Beth when she gets too drunk. He pleads with her not to tell anyone else in the family his secret, and she agrees.

Wally is from Saudi Arabia, and he hasn't told his family either, but pressures Frank to introduce him as his partner. Wally says in Saudi they would behead him, but in America no-one cares about being gay. Wally is aeronautics engineer and they met on the subway.

The next day, Beth's grandfather and Frank's father, Daddy Mac, dies of a sudden heart attack. Frank agrees to drive Beth back to South Carolina (After Wally pressures Frank to go, else it would break his mother's heart) for the funeral. Wally asks to come along and meet Frank's family, but Frank refuses, not yet ready to reveal the truth to them. Beth and Frank talk during the drive. Frank reveals he always knew he was different, but confirmed his sexual orientation when he reached puberty. First time when he was 16, with a boy from school. However, Wally rents a car and follows them most of the way there; when Frank catches him, he agrees to let him come but stay in a motel during the funeral, fearful of what the locals might do if they discover their true relationship.

Along their journey, Frank has flashbacks to his teenage years and a sexual relationship he had with another boy named Samuel (Michael Perez); his father caught them in bed together and called Frank an abomination against God. Samuel committed suicide as he could not cope with the humiliation from Frank (who wanted to appease Daddy Mac). To cope with these memories, Frank begins secretly drinking; he asks Beth not to tell Wally as Frank is a recovering alcoholic.

Beth and Frank arrive home to attend the funeral. Mammaw tells Frank that Daddy Mac loved him. Mike tells Frank stories about how Daddy Mac always asked about Frank when Mike met him. Kitty learns from Beth that Frank is staying at the motel with Wally (a man they met during the drive).

At the reading of the will, Frank learns he has been cut out of his inheritance, and the will bitterly exposes Frank's homosexuality to the family. An emotional Frank flees, driving away erratically while drinking heavily. A panicked Beth rushes to inform Wally, who drives them to the nearby lake where he suspects Frank went. A final flashback reveals that Frank told Samuel they could not be together as it displeased God, and Samuel drowned himself in the lake shortly after. Wally and Beth discover Frank's clothes sitting on a dock by the water, but Frank is nowhere to be seen.

Wally and Beth return to the motel, where Wally grieves for Frank's supposed death. However, a drunken Frank returns, claiming he just went for a swim. An argument ensues as Wally confronts Frank for his drinking; Frank punches Wally and calls him a faggot before fleeing again. They later reconcile at Samuel's grave as Frank expresses guilt for his death. Frank laments that he has no family left; Wally reassures him that he is Frank's family. After an impassioned speech from Beth, Frank agrees to let Wally meet his family. While Frank's brother-in-law is unable to morally accept the truth, his siblings and mother have no problem with the secret and warmly welcome Wally.