“Other People” brings a strained queer family story home to Sacramento

“Other People” is a comedy-drama centered on David Mulcahey, a struggling comedy writer who returns to his childhood home in Sacramento after his mother, Joanne, is diagnosed with the rare cancer leiomyosarcoma. The film follows the Mulcahey family across a year as they confront the practical and emotional consequences of her illness.

David’s return places him inside a family shaped by affection, tension and unresolved conflict. He reconnects with his younger sisters, Alexandra and Rebeccah, though the siblings have grown distant. His relationship with his father, Norman, is more strained. A decade after David came out, Norman still does not accept his sexuality, making the family’s caregiving experience inseparable from the pain of rejection at home.

The story also begins after a breakup. David has recently separated from his boyfriend, Paul, but tells his family that they remain together because he does not want to add to his mother’s distress. That decision reflects the film’s focus on the complicated ways people manage vulnerability: David is trying to care for Joanne, preserve family stability and navigate his own personal losses at the same time.

Written and directed by Chris Kelly in his feature directorial debut, the film is described as semi-autobiographical. Its Sacramento setting is not simply a backdrop for a return home; it is the place where David’s family history, queer identity and responsibilities as a son collide. The result is a family story viewed through the experience of an adult child whose sexuality remains a source of conflict with his father.

The cast includes Jesse Plemons as David and Molly Shannon as Joanne, alongside Bradley Whitford, Maude Apatow, Madisen Beaty, John Early, Zach Woods, Josie Totah and June Squibb. “Other People” premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Vertical Entertainment on September 9, 2016.

For LGBTQ-focused audiences, the film offers a portrait of coming home without suggesting that home automatically becomes affirming. David’s relationship with Norman places parental nonacceptance alongside illness and caregiving, while his concealed breakup shows how queer family life can involve both ordinary romantic pain and the pressure to protect relatives from difficult news. Sacramento is therefore central to the film’s emotional geography: it is where David returns to help his mother, confront his father and re-enter the family relationships that shaped him.

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Further links listed by the Wikipedia page (not independently checked): - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/other_people/ - https://www.yahoo.com/movies/molly-shannons-buzzy-sundance-drama-other-170032059.html - https://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/other-people-review-sundance-molly-shannon-1201686115/ - https://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/sundance-molly-shannon-cancer-dramedy-other-people-brings-audience-to-tears-1201685796/ - https://variety.com/2016/film/markets-festivals/netflix-buys-molly-shannon-cancer-dramedy-other-people-exclusive-1201714098/ - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4158876/ Image rights Photograph description: Modesto is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California. The Modesto Census County Division, which includes the cities of Ceres and Riverbank, has a population of 312,842 as of 2010. Modesto is located in the Central Valley area of No Creator: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA. License: CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0). Original image page: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AModesto%2C_California_(10753654665).jpg. The image was resized for display; no other changes were made.