In a suburban American town, an elderly Chinese tai chi master, Mr. Chu, moves in with his son Alex, an assimilated immigrant, his American daughter-in-law Martha, and their young son. Having recently immigrated from Beijing, Mr. Chu struggles to adapt to the new culture and understand the customs and language of his new home. His lack of English skills and his daughter-in-law’s inability to communicate in Chinese create tensions within the household. Martha, a writer working on her new book, feels disrupted by Mr. Chu's presence and his ritualistic practice of tai chi exercises in the living room. The cultural and generational gap between her and Mr. Chu widens, putting stress on her marriage and the family dynamic.

As Martha’s frustration grows, so does Mr. Chu’s sense of isolation and longing for his old life in China. He seeks solace by attempting to teach tai chi to neighbors at a local community center, only finding relief when he can practice pushing hands—a form of tai chi training that connects movement and balance—outside the house. Meanwhile, Alex is caught in the middle, torn between his father’s traditions and his wife’s modern lifestyle. He struggles to reconcile these conflicting aspects, feeling the pressures of both worlds. As family tensions reach a breaking point, Alex must navigate the delicate balance between honoring his father's heritage and supporting his wife's aspirations, without realizing the subtle harmony that tai chi philosophy suggests can help bridge cultural divides.