Joan Castleman appears to be the perfect supportive spouse to her husband, Joe Castleman, a celebrated author about to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Their marriage, on the surface, is a paragon of partnership and success, built over decades of mutual respect and shared life experiences. As the couple travels to Stockholm for the prize ceremony, accompanied by their son David, who is also an aspiring writer, the tension within the family begins to surface. Preparations for the illustrious event prompt Joan to reflect on her life, her role behind Joe's career, and the choices she has made.

Amidst the glitz of the Nobel ceremony’s festivities and the relentless attention from the media, the layers of the Castlemans' marriage are peeled back, revealing complex dynamics and buried resentments. The arrival of a persistent biographer questioning Joe's past and a whole succession of intimate confrontations force Joan to confront the truths she has silently borne all these years. As the spotlight intensifies on Joe, the celebration forces Joan to consider the shared complicity in their life’s narrative, bringing into question notions of authorship, recognition, and the sacrifices made for love and ambition.