Lawrence Wetherhold, a widowed and curmudgeonly English professor, has his life focused on his career and caring for his teenage daughter and disaffected son. His bleak outlook and detachment from his family leave him isolated and emotionally stunted. After a minor incident lands him in the hospital, he's forced to reevaluate his life when he's deemed unfit to drive. This complication leads to his freewheeling, underachieving brother Chuck moving in to help, a situation that brings as much chaos as it does clarity.

As Lawrence struggles to navigate the complexities of single parenthood and academic politics, he inadvertently finds a romantic interest in Janet, his former student and the doctor who treated him. Despite Lawrence's abrasive personality, an awkward connection forms between them. Meanwhile, Chuck's influence begins to disrupt the family's dynamic, injecting unpredictability and questioning the paths they have all chosen. With their personal lives in flux, they each confront what it truly means to be “smart” and whether intelligence equates to a fulfilled life.