An editor for a publisher in
NYC, single mother Jackie Durning has been on top of her son Angelo his whole life. From a very young age, she has been grooming him to become a writer. He gets into
NYU to major in writing, but he lacks self-confidence as she's always been his biggest critic and editor. Angelo travels cross-country to California to spend some time with his father Peter's family in the summer before starting classes. Although Jackie had asked him to call when he landed, it takes her five days to reach him. When she stops by Angelo's NYU dorm room to drop off some things, she's told he's dropped out. Jackie immediately goes home to pack a bag and flies to California. Not having told anyone, she has her driver Ramon take her to outside of Peter's. They stay watching all night until dawn, when Angelo comes out with a surfboard. They follow him to a beach, where they see he's become a surfer. As Jackie hasn't called for a while, Angelo calls her but she lets it go to voicemail. He mentions an e-mail he'd sent her, explaining he wants to experience life far from NYC. As Jackie insists Ramon follow so closely, they accidentally touch bumpers. Discovering his mother is following him, Angelo confronts her and tells her the NYC life doesn't interest him, but Santa Monica does. Jackie insists she can figure out how to surf, regardless of Ramon's scepticism. Ian, a nearby surfer, comes when Ramon insists she's having difficulty. Jackie hires Ian to teach her, eventually realizing she needs instruction. After their second day of lessons, Jackie and Ian sleep together. The next day at the beach, when they come across Angelo and his surfing friends, she, Ian and Ramon follow them to an outside cafe. Mother and son address each other by their first names, and the younger group soon leaves. As Angelo accidentally drops a bag of weed, Jackie decides to try it again. Becoming very giggly, she confesses that she got fired. That evening, Jackie shows up at Peter's. She meets his pregnant second wife and their young daughter. Going up to Angelo's room, she interrupts him with a female friend. Angelo confronts Jackie, telling her she's smothered him ever since his brother's accidental death and he wants no more of it. The next day, Jackie and Ian agree to see each other, but she flies back to NYC first. She gets her second son's ashes to disperse in the ocean. A few days later, on Angelo's birthday, Jackie gets him to meet her at the beach so he can see her surf. Jackie announces that she's moving to LA and will no longer smother him. In turn Angelo announces he's gotten his spot back at NYU, after sending off his surfing friends who are heading to college and contemplating the older writer he'd met. Mother and son surf together before they each go on their own way. == Cast ==