John Jorissen teaches philosophy in a small liberal arts school in the American Midwest, and is writing a book on Spinoza. His life revolves around teaching, writing and spending time with his partner Becca, a fellow professor, and her adolescent son Willie. Jorissen is smart, serious and distant. Something from the past torments him.
When his estranged father Melvyn passes away, the sudden appearance of a young man, Miguel Basque, shocks Jorissen at the funeral. It is revealed through flashback that there was an incident between Jorissen and Miguel, the young son of the Jorissen family’s gardener. Melvyn paid Miguel’s father for their silence and private schooling. In return, the family pressed no charges.
Wrought with guilt, shame and confusion over his past, as well as the growing suspicion that Spinoza’s God would never pardon his actions, Jorissen purchases Nembutal, a lethal euthanasia powder. Conflicted, Jorissen asks Becca to marry him. Soon after, Becca is approached by Miguel, who feels an obligation to discuss what Jorrisen had done years ago. When she confronts him, Jorissen denies everything. The film ends with Jorissen and Becca at the altar, exchanging wedding vows, with Miguel in a church pew dressed exactly as he did during Melvyn’s funeral. Young Willie hands his new father the ring as Jorissen gazes down at him.
