Will Freeman lives a serene and luxurious lifestyle devoid of responsibility in London thanks to substantial royalties left to him from a successful Christmas music composed by his father. Marcus Brewer is a young teenager with a single mother who doesn't fit in at school. Will joins a single-parents group after a successful fling with a single mother in an attempt to find others, making up an infant son "Ned" who conveniently spends most of his time with his absentee mother. Will gains Marcus's interest and trust after he lies to a park ranger to cover up for Marcus accidentally killing a duck by throwing his mother's cottage loaf at it. Afterward, when Will takes Marcus home, they find Fiona (Marcus's mother) in the living room, overdosed on pills in a suicide attempt.