The film opens as Josh Manning (Miles Heizer) is recording his own songs in his college dorm room for demo and is interrupted by one of his floor mates looking for someone. He stops recording, annoyed at the interruption. Meanwhile, his father Sam Manning (Billy Crudup) has succeeded in landing a large account at his advertising firm, and calls Josh to celebrate with him and skip that day's classes. Josh tells him he cannot make it but his father insists, though Josh begins to make his way to the campus library anyway. Sam continues to wait at the bar where he told him to meet him and even leaves a message for Josh who has apparently stood him up. He is distracted by a news report of a school shooting incident at his son's campus library on the television in the bar.