Chris (James Le Gros) and Matt (Danny McCarthy) are lifelong friends. They are going on a camping trip with Chris’s daughter Sam (Lily Collias) and Matt’s son, but the latter bails at the last minute. The threesome go anyway and are soon hiking with all their gear into the Catskills. A lake and a waterfall seem to be their destinations, but really this is all about just being together and talking. After Sam cooks them a meal, the men reminisce about when they were younger.
The men have had some differences in the past, including competition over a woman, and they get on each others’ nerves quickly. Matt has overpacked, and Chris criticizes him easily. Sam quietly observes them. She’s seen their friendship for many years. Their behavior and even their stories don’t really surprise her. But then they do. One surprises her, and the other disappoints her.
Lily Collias’s Sam is clearly wise beyond her years and skilled in reading and understanding people. It is as if she listens with her face. She pauses before she replies, offers advice but is not pushy about it. And when it comes time for her to assert who she really is, we are not surprised at what happens.
This is a slow-paced yet involving drama that demonstrates how deep listening builds trust and honest connections between family members and friends.