Three argumentative children staying at a resort for the summer attempt to work together to build a sandcastle.

Four teenage boys escape the Brooklyn summertime heat at their local swimming pool. After their swim, the boys are ravenous, and they imagine all the foods they'd like to eat.

The characters found in jokes are forced to act out the jokes every time they are told.

Three generations of men grapple with the effects of unemployment and lost hope over Thanksgiving.

For a nine-year-old boy, a visit from his uncle, an alcoholic Irish bachelor, means surprising gifts and drama between his parents.

A young boy, haunted by nightmares, finds relief from his insomnia in an unexpected way.

A former theater worker recalls touring Ireland during a politically tumultuous time and an experience that turned him vegetarian.

On a family vacation in Cape Cod, a father struggles to understand his unhappiness with his family and inevitable aging, leading him to clash with his more commanding and radical brother-in-law. He finds solace in doting on his niece, until many years later when he will come to regret not saying anything about his brother-in-law's odd behavior.

A woman moves into a new housing development at the insistence of her married lover but finds herself bitter and unhappy with the life she is living. Things begin to fall apart after the death of her lover's son, leaving her alone to face the consequences of her immoral love affair and an ancient curse.

The characters in violent commercials realize they can resist their dark fates, and they rise up against the consumer establishment.