After a four year stay in California after he came out of the closet, Butch Gamble returns to Normal, Ohio to attend a going-away party for his son, Charlie, who's going off to medical school. His sister Pamela, a lively single mother of two, welcomes him warmly, as does his mother, Joan, though she can't quite bring herself to say "gay" aloud. Charlie, on the other hand, is not quite up to lukewarm. After Butch has a heartfelt talk with Charlie about how he's happier since he came out, Charlie decides to tell the truth too -- during his send-off, Charlie reveals that he doesn't want to go to medical school.