Plot

After their father passes away, four grown siblings are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens.

After their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide--driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves.—Warner Bros.

After an illness, sporting-goods store owner Mort Altman has just died, bringing his family and friends together to mourn his passing, his family wife and four adult offspring, who do not see each other often, partly because of geographic distance and largely because the siblings have totally different personalities. His family includes his liberally-minded wife Hilary, a therapist who used the family issues as the source for her widely successful books; third offspring Judd, a New York radio talk-show producer who has always had his life mapped out so does not respond well to anything throwing him off-course; second offspring Wendy, the proverbial glue of the family; oldest offspring Paul, the straight-laced responsible one who manages the store; and youngest offspring Phillip, the irresponsible one. Mort's last wish, which Hilary wants the family to observe, is for the family to sit shiva together at the family home. Their time together over the week is not good for some as the siblings deal with their current life issues. Judd is as thrown off-course as he's ever been, losing both his job and his wife Quinn in one fell swoop as he caught Quinn cheating on him with his boss, Wade. Wendy believes Judd will rebound with childhood friend Penny, who had always had a crush on him, before he returns to life with Quinn, as finding that preset path is what Judd does best. Wendy is married to workaholic businessman Barry, which makes her think about what life would have been like if she stayed with her childhood sweetheart Horry, who still lives across the street from Hilary with his mother, Linda, largely because of a brain injury he sustained in a car accident when he and Wendy were still dating. Linda, Hilary and Mort had long been best friends, who were there for each other during the good times and the bad, the latter which included Mort's illness and Horry's accident. Paul and his wife Annie, who Judd used to date, have been trying--unsuccessfully--to have a child. On top of Paul and Annie's family issue, Mort's death throws the state of the store into question, Paul who still believes it is rightly his despite having only fifty percent interest. And Phillip arrives on the scene with his current girlfriend Tracy, his former therapist who is closer in age to his mom than to himself. Phillip believes that Tracy has made him a more responsible human being holistically. Throughout the shiva, Hilary has her own agenda beyond mourning the passing of her husband.—Huggo

When their father passes away, four grown, world-weary siblings return to their childhood home and are requested--with admonition--to stay there together for a week, along with their free-speaking mother and a collection of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens. As the brothers and sisters re-examine their shared history and the status of each tattered relationship among those who know and love them best, they reconnect in hysterically funny and emotionally significant ways.

Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) finds out his wife Quinn (Abigail Spencer) has been having an affair with his boss Wade (Dax Shepard) for a year. After he moves out, his sister Wendy (Tina Fey) calls to tell him their father Mort has died. The Altmans gather for the funeral at their mother's home where they reconnect with Wendy's ex-boyfriend Horry Callen (Timothy Olyphant), who suffered a brain injury years before, and his mother Linda (Debra Monk). Wendy is unhappy because her workaholic husband Barry (Aaron Lazar) neglects her. Judd reunites with his older brother Paul (Corey Stoll) and Paul's wife Annie (Kathryn Hahn), who had once been Judd's girlfriend. The youngest brother, Phillip (Adam Driver), arrives late with his new, older girlfriend Tracy (Connie Britton).

The Altmans' mother Hilary (Jane Fonda) tells her children their father, though an atheist, wanted them to sit shiva, presided over by the Altmans' childhood friend, Rabbi Charles "Boner" Grodner (Ben Schwartz). Wendy is the only one in the family who knows about Judd's marital problems. Judd also reunites with Penny Moore (Rose Byrne), a woman who had a crush on him in high school.

During a family gathering, Wendy drunkenly badgers Judd to tell the truth about Quinn. Phillip laments being seen as the family screw-up, while flirting with another woman in front of Tracy. Judd blurts out that Quinn was cheating on him and he plans to divorce her. Quinn shows up the next day and reveals she's pregnant with Judd's child. Phillip finds out about the pregnancy and reveals this to the family.

Judd spends the night with Penny, and then spends the day with her. Wendy visits Horry in his backyard, and expresses remorse over causing the accident that caused Horry's brain injury. The family goes to temple, where the brothers sneak out to smoke joints Judd found in his father's suit. Annie, upset that she and Paul haven't conceived, tries to seduce Judd in hopes that he will impregnate her, but he rejects her. A few days later, after Barry leaves for a conference, Wendy sleeps with Horry, with whom she is still in love.

Quinn calls Judd out of fear that she is having a miscarriage, and he admits to Penny that Quinn is pregnant. Judd gets to the hospital to be with Quinn where Wade also shows up. The baby, which is revealed to be a girl, survives. Judd and Wade get into a fight in the waiting room. When Philip and Wendy arrive, Wendy punches Wade in the face, and Judd gets a group of young men who witnessed the confrontation to flip Wade's car. As he leaves, Wade tells Judd he's not ready to be a step-dad and leaves Quinn. Judd informs Quinn that even though their marriage is over and they cannot get back together, he will support her in raising their daughter when the baby is born.

The next day, Tracy talks with Judd and decides to break up with Phillip. Judd drives to Penny's house to talk to her, but she won't listen. Later, Annie apologizes to Judd, tearfully confessing that she is frustrated that she can't get pregnant. Judd replies that she should focus on what she and Paul do have. Paul sees Judd hugging her and assumes Judd is hitting on her. Paul attacks Judd as Tracy leaves Phillip, resulting in the three brothers fighting. Hilary silences everyone by kissing Linda passionately. She informs them that she and Linda are in love and that they had Mort's blessing. She admits the shiva was her idea, in order to come out to her children and get them to reconnect. The siblings are shocked, but see their mother is happy and accept it.

One night, when the power goes out in the basement, Judd attempts to fix the fusebox, only to receive an electric shock and be knocked out. He dreams of a childhood memory of falling off his bike and of Mort comforting him. Judd wakes up crying, finally mourning his father.

Judd apologizes to Penny for not being honest and promises to call her. Realizing that they're in love with each other, Judd and Penny kiss passionately as they embrace each other. Wendy leaves with her two children, tearing up as she again leaves Horry. The brothers reconcile and Paul offers Phillip a job at their father's sporting goods store. Judd quietly slips out, steals Phillip's Porsche, and drives up the highway to Maine, where he had dreamed of going.