The U.S. ambassador to France and his wife, Kay, haven't seen their thirty-four-year-old son David in six months. Now, they're traveling to his remote village in the south of France to meet him and his new wife, Marcelle. The Ambassador regards David as a disappointment, and they have fought for decades. When they finally reach their son's half-built home, the Ambassador cannot resist criticizing him. Banging his head on the doorframe, the father criticizes the driveway, the location, and his wife. On the tour, the tension erupts; David laces into his father's work, and the Ambassador denigrates his son's translation work before escaping to take a nap. Resting in his son's bed, the Ambassador recalls David's divorces and complicated history with women and affairs. This only makes the Ambassador more bitter, so he expresses more disappointment than ever to his wife after his nap. However, his wife helps him realize that he has long neglected his son. David's life, if it even is somehow reprehensible, is his father's fault. After banging his head on the doorframe again, the statesman feels a burden lifting off of his shoulders.