Navigating the chaotic fallout of a childhood defined by his parents' explosive divorce, Carter, played by Adam Scott, has carved out a carefully controlled life as a successful restaurant owner. He considers himself a well-adjusted adult, until his younger brother's sudden engagement forces him to reunite their bitterly estranged parents, the perpetually warring Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara. This ill-fated peacemaking mission triggers a crisis, leading Carter to a shocking discovery from his childhood therapist Jane Lynch: he was the unwitting subject of a study on children of divorce, an "Adult Child of Divorce" or A.C.O.D. As he reconnects with the study's author and grapples with this new label, Carter's meticulously ordered world begins to unravel, straining his relationship with his supportive girlfriend Mary Elizabeth Winstead and drawing him into the orbit of a fellow subject, the charming Jessica Alba. This sharp comedy-drama from director Stu Zicherman blends heartfelt moments with biting humor, exploring the lasting scars of family dysfunction and the messy, complicated journey toward defining one's own happiness.