9-year-old Sam is spending the weekend with his dad John. His parents are divorced, and Sam’s mother Fillipa is very protective. John forgets to pick up Sam from school because one of his clients has asked him to remove a large turtle from one of the pools he cleans. To win back Sam’s trust in John tells his son that he got him the turtle as a present. The weekend is compromised as John’s (much younger) girlfriend Sheila appears for a surprise visit and her presence shatters all hope Sam had for a intimate father/son weekend. As the tension grows in the small apartment, Sam overhears John try to explain to Sheila why Sam is there. When the Turtle gets sick Sam tries to get the father to help, but Sam slowly realizes that the turtle is just one more thing that John hasn’t been able to take proper care of. Sam needs to decide: Does he take the turtle to his mother and let her see the father’s flaws, or does he accept his father and just take the love he can get?