Home Again

Alice is the embodiment of a perfect mother, albeit with the occasional rough edge and sarcasm, in her mid-thirties. A single mother living in Los Angeles, she navigates the complex web of parenting, managing her career as an aspiring screenwriter, and trying to hold onto her individuality. Her life, however, takes an unexpected turn when she decides to take in three handsome but slightly disenchanted young men: Oscar, Bear, and George – a struggling actor, a musician, and a software engineer respectively. As Alice opens up her home and her heart, she begins to form connections with these young men, who are all in their late twenties or early thirties, each dealing with their own share of disappointments and struggles in the city. Her mother, Diana, a wealthy woman with a penchant for lavish parties and expensive taste, has just flown into town, forcing Alice to confront the differences between their lifestyles and values. This unexpected living arrangement tests Alice's parenting skills and her ability to balance being a mother and her own personal desires. As they grow to know one another, Alice, in turn, gets drawn into their world. She sees their vulnerability, their sense of insecurity and the uncertainty about their careers as a reflection of her own life. Alice's daughter, Hailey, however, initially takes some getting used to having these new young men in the house. Her concerns are justified given the potential implications on her life and Alice's, and she begins to push back against the new arrangement, fearing they may bring chaos and unpredictability to their carefully established order. Alice, despite her best efforts to be the perfect mother, can't help but feel disconnected and uncertain. At one point in their lives, she also felt a similar sense of uncertainty as when she got married young without understanding what true partnership was all about, and then, later divorced after becoming disillusioned with married life. It makes her hesitant to dive into any romantic relationship fearing failure. When Alice is asked out by Oscar, she is initially resistant, fearing it might be a mistake to mix her personal life with her life as a mother. However, the more she opens up to her children and gets drawn into the lives of Oscar, Bear, and George, the more she discovers there is a chance for true love, friendship, and belonging in her life. In the end, it is this self-discovery that gives Alice the confidence to take a leap of faith, and pursue love and happiness. Through her interactions with these young men, Alice comes to learn the beauty of allowing oneself to fall and to accept vulnerability. Ultimately, she gets a second chance, and in doing so, learns to find love with one of them, proving that sometimes life does indeed give you a home, and you just have to let it in.