It's about an indie movie called "Home for Purim," a somewhat inane drama about a dysfunctional Jewish family living in the South during World War II. But while the film is still in production, a reporter for an online entertainment site drops the word -- based on a brief visit to the set -- that one of the ensemble cast performers may be an Oscar contender. It goes on to chronicle how the Oscar buzz affects the director, additional cast members,...

Walter Vale is a widower who teaches economics at a Connecticut university. He lives alone and is no longer motivated by his work. In New York to present a paper at a conference, he goes to the apartment that he has not visited in some time, but has kept since his wife was alive, only to discover a young couple living there. Despite their great cultural differences, Walter befriends Tarek, a Syrian citizen and drummer, and gradually builds a friendship...