This movie is a semi-autobiographical movie. Upon arriving for his mother's graduation, Michael finds out that his mother has actually died in a car crash. The movie deals with the family coming together dealing with the loss of their mother. They also find out some things that were more than they expected. There are many moments of flashbacks of his younger years. He deals with the disapproving father and the way that he felt as a child. There are many moments when you see that his father was not a kind man and was very cruel. He never spared his son's feelings and definitely seemed to not have any compassion towards his wife. Micheal and his aunt Jane, who is also his best friend, deal with growing up in a house with a mean father, Charlie, and a very loving mother, Lisa (Julia Roberts). Together they work on getting over the past and starting a better future..