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A left-leaning playwright in a career slump is held hostage by an ultra-conservative ex-con in this seriocomic drama directed, written by, and starring Martin Donovan. Robert Longfellow (Donovan) used to be the toast of Broadway. But after his latest play is met with scathing reviews and promptly cancelled, Robert finds his life thrown off balance. Meanwhile, when flirtations with an old flame (Olivia Williams) threaten to destroy Robert's marriage, the conflicted playwright returns home for a visit with his mother (Katherine Helmond) and gets caught up in conversation with Gus (David Morse), a troubled neighbor who has seen his fair share of prison cells. The polar opposite on the political spectrum, Gus invites Robert over for a drink, and ends up holding him hostage at gunpoint as police surround the house. As tensions both inside and outside start to spike, Robert attempts to diffuse the situation by connecting with Gus on a personal level, sending an already complicated situation in an unexpected direction.