Penelope and Michael Longstreet are horrified when their son, Ethan, comes home from school one day and tells his parents how he was hit in the face with a stick by a classmate, Zachary Cowan. His concerned parents decide the best way to tackle the problem is to invite Zachary's parents, Nancy and Alan, over to their house to talk things over.
From the beginning of the meeting however, both sets of parents discover that they won't get on with each other. Despite this, they manage cordial introductions and Penelope and Michael get to work writing a letter to the school, with some heavy, biased editing from Nancy and Alan.
To make the meeting go more smoothly, Penelope and Michael bring out a bottle of wine. But as the evening wears on, the wine doesn't help solve the problem of playground bullying but rather highlights the conflicts between the Longstreets and the Cowans.
Starring: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly
Directed by: Roman Polanski