The film stars Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple, Alisha Wainwright, June Squibb, and Ryder Allen.
Eddie Palmer is a former high school football star and ex-felon who has been released from prison after serving 12 years for attempted murder and armed robbery.
He moves in with his grandmother Vivian, who occasionally watches over a young stereotypically feminine boy named Sam, the son of her neighbor Shelly, a drug addict.
Palmer begins working at the local school as a janitor and helps Vivian watch Sam as Shelly repeatedly leaves town with her abusive boyfriend Jerry.
As Palmer grows closer to Maggie, he reveals to her that after a promising high school football career, he was injured in a game while playing for Louisiana State University.
Palmer attempts to receive full guardianship of Sam but is denied due to his parole status and the uncertainty of his living situation.
Palmer asks Shelly to appoint him Sam's legal guardian but she scoffs at his request, even after he offers to pay her.
[2] In September 2019, it was announced Justin Timberlake was cast to star as Eddie Palmer, with Fisher Stevens directing from a screenplay written by Cheryl Guerriero.
The website's critics consensus reads: "Although it traffics in familiar territory, Palmer is elevated by worthy themes and a strong ensemble led by an impressive Justin Timberlake.