Summaries

Synopsis

71-year-old veteran cowboy actor Lee Hayden records the same slogan for a Texas barbecue sauce over and over. He gets annoyed by having to do this again and again. In the car, he gets a call on his cell phone from agent Peter telling him there are no major roles for him, but Peter will keep trying.

The doctor tells Lee has he has bad news. Lee researches pancreatic cancer.

Then Lee visits his friend Jeremy. They both appeared in the short-lived TV series "Cattle Drive", where Lee's character was an older cowboy who advised a young man. They both smoke weed and Jeremy suggests other products such as cookies. Lee says he has been having a dream and that he wants to make a movie about it. Charlotte comes to buy drugs and is introduced to Lee. She seems interested in him even though she is a lot younger than he is.

From time to time, the audience sees scenes from Lee's dream. It includes a man hanging from a tree.

Apparently awake, Lee also spends time at the beach in some scenes, not saying anything.

Lee dreams that he visits a trailer that says "Hero" on the door. He looks at numerous official looking documents, some of which have a lot of redactions.

Lee visits his ex-wife Valarie and asks about her, and then asks about their daughter Lucy. He and Lucy have not been in touch. But he finds her playing tennis. Lee is being given a lifetime achievement award from the Western Preservation and Appreciation Guild, but she is too busy to attend. Lucy agrees to meet during the week. She is no longer a waitress but sells advertising for Google and is slightly annoyed by how little he knows about her life.

Lee bumps into Charlotte when they both get lunch at the same taco truck. He asks if she would like to go to see him honored. She agrees.

Lee and Charlotte drink in their limo on the way to the event. Charlotte adds something extra to her drink and asks if Lee wants the same thing. Lee agrees. As they are talking, Charlotte says the expression "burning the candle at both ends" comes from an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem. Lee says he doesn't understand why he is being honored because only one role that he did, in the film "The Hero", was really worth mentioning, and that was 40 years ago.

Gary is in charge of the event and he welcomes Lee. Betsy, a fan, asks for an autograph. When the time comes to give Lee the award, Gary praises Lee's iconic role as "The Hero" in the film of the same name. The audience at the event watches a clip, though the movie audience doesn't get to see it and doesn't really hear it. Lee comes up to accept his award and makes a long speech where he says he is no more deserving than anyone else in the room. In fact, he picks out a random woman from the audience named Diane and presents her with the award.

Out in the country, Lee is by himself dressed as a cowboy, with a white or light-colored hat, when a man in a black hat says he has caught up with him. Several other men are nearby, and they all want to capture him for some reason. Lee pulls his gun and the director yells, "Cut." Lee walks over to his director's style chair, which is on Lucy's tennis court, and Lucy, dressed for tennis, says hello to him and is nice to him. Then Lee wakes up in bed next to Charlotte.

As they get breakfast, Lee asks if they did anything. Charlotte says they didn't do the one thing he is asking about, probably due to the molly they put in their champagne during the limo ride to the ceremony. They did, however, go out afterward to various places, and she tells Lee that he danced "a lot". Lee just doesn't remember. Later, they are on a rocky section of beach and Lee asks about her. She says she is a standup comedian and she invites him to watch her at a club.

Lee visits Jeremy and discovers his speech from the previous night went viral. All of a sudden, Peter has numerous roles for him, one in particular which is a major space epic blockbuster. Lee is interested in that one role and has script pages faxed to him, while Jeremy marvels that Lee still does faxes. Lee and Jeremy run the lines, and Lee is actually pretty good, nailing it convincingly on the second try, and we see his skill and artistry in his craft. While the role is not typical of what Lee is used to, he is a cowboy type rescuing the daughter who thought he was dead.

Lee starts to make his first appointment for cancer treatment but can't go through with it, possibly because that might interfere with the movie.

Lee goes to the club where Cameron Esposito is finishing up her routine. Ali Wong then introduces Charlotte, who starts by describing what it is like to have a relationship with an old man. A really old man. She says it's exciting because he could drop dead any minute. Lee is offended and walks out. Charlotte doesn't finish the bit, and starts to move on to another topic but that is all the movie audience sees, as we watch Lee make his way out with his back to the stage.

Later, Lee and Charlotte talk. Charlotte explains she had to talk about him that way because that's what the audience expects. He tells her how old he is and that Lucy is 34. Charlotte says she is older than that.

At the audition for his movie role, Lee tries to say his lines from memory, but he can't, but that's okay. The director knows he will do well, and encourages him to take his time and not worry at all. It seems that he wants Lee in the role very much. Lee is given the page from the script. Lee still can't do a good job because he gets too emotional. As he is leaving a social media streamer ambushes him in the parking garage, startling Lee who says "Not now" but heedlessly the influencer gets pushy and in his face very closely with his imposing camera and lighting rig, so Lee pushes back and yells at him.

Lee goes home and drinks. And drinks. He misses his lunch with Lucy, who is dressed nicely and in a restaurant with other people. She calls him but he is outside and doesn't answer. He tries to call her back with no success.

Charlotte and Lee spend more time together and she gives him a book of Edna St. Vincent Millay poetry. She is the first person he tells he is dying. He expresses fatalistic acceptance and lack of desire to pursue treatment. Charlotte admonishes him that he should try anything and everything to fight for more time. He knows of one procedure that has a modest chance of success but Charlotte says that is at least something. She finally persuades Lee to tell his family.

Lee goes to Valarie's art show, where Lee can only say it looks like what she would do, but he doesn't seem to care too much. He appears to tell Valarie the bad news.

Lee meets with Lucy on a hill overlooking the ocean. They have a conversation where Lucy tells him he was hardly ever there for her. She still calls him "Lee" rather than "Dad".

Charlotte finally persuades Lee to go for treatment, and he calls to make the appointment. He is sitting out on his deck overlooking the beautiful valley, and the hold music, a classical piece, is playing. The camera is looking at Lee from behind, the sky is beautiful with golden clouds and sunshine, the hills are dappled in beautiful golden light, and the music swells from off the phone to become the full resolution soundtrack and we are being carried aloft, when suddenly the music stops, and the receptionist comes back on the line. We almost forget what Lee was doing in this great moment with an almost comical conclusion with the abrupt stop in the music.

When Charlotte visits for Lee's 72nd birthday, she discovers the poetry book hidden under the bed and she reads him a beautiful piece about burying loving hearts in the cold ground, and losing loved ones to death or estrangement.

The movie's first scene is repeated before the end credits, but instead of BBQ chicken sauce, this time it's for ribs. Same brand. Same producer on the talk back asking for "one more take" as a weary Lee prepares to soldier on.