Synopsis

In 1986, the conservative 65 year-old mechanical engineer Henry Sawyer and his wife, the housewife Helen Sawyer, are informed that their estranged son Gabriel Sawyer has a brain tumor by Dr. Biscow and they learn that that he is incapable to form new memories. Gabriel left home years ago when his father had an argument with him because he left the college night to unsuccessfully try to watch a Grateful Dead gig with his girlfriend Tamara and his best friend Mark Ferris and now he is completely disconnected from the world. Henry is compulsively retired by his chief and Helen decides to work to have money to pay Gabriel's treatment. Henry researches but the problem of his son and finds some good results through music therapy and he seeks out Professor Dianne Daley. Soon she discovers that the music from the late 60's and 70's, especially the Grateful Dead, is the key to connect Gabriel to the world. The reluctant Henry, who is also a music lover for from an older period, decides to learn these songs to bond with Gabriel. When a radio broadcasts a contest where the winner will receive a ticket for a sold-out Grateful Dead concert, he insistently tries to contact the radio to get the tickets. He believes they can build a new memory of their love for each other. After multiple tries he gets through and, answered by the trivia question, wins the tickets! They go and connect deeply. Next scene is the dad's funeral where he has asked for that Dead song to be played. Gabriel remembers and groves to it.

In 1986, the conservative 65 year-old mechanical engineer Henry Sawyer and his wife, the housewife Helen Sawyer, are informed that their estranged son Gabriel Sawyer has a brain tumor by Dr. Biscow and they learn that that he is incapable to form new memories. Gabriel left home years ago when his father had an argument with him because he left the college night to unsuccessfully try to watch a Grateful Dead gig with his girlfriend Tamara and his best friend Mark Ferris and now he is completely disconnected from the world. Henry is compulsively retired by his chief and Helen decides to work to have money to pay Gabriel's treatment. Henry researches but the problem of his son and finds some good results through music therapy and he seeks out Professor Dianne Daley. Soon she discovers that the music from the late 60's and 70's, especially the Grateful Dead, is the key to connect Gabriel to the world. The reluctant Henry, who is also a music lover for from an older period, decides to learn these songs to bond with Gabriel. When a radio broadcasts a contest where the winner will receive a ticket for a sold-out Grateful Dead concert, he insistently tries to contact the radio to get the tickets. He believes they can build a new memory of their love for each other. After multiple tries he gets through and, answered by the trivia question, wins the tickets! They go and connect deeply. Next scene is the dad's funeral where he has asked for that Dead song to be played. Gabriel remembers and groves to it.