Suburban America, Alice Bradford and Céline Jennings are next-door neighbors and mothers to boys of a similar age. Alice stages a surprise party for Céline’s birthday. The next day, Céline’s son Max stays home sick from school. Alice, pruning roses in her own garden, spots him standing precariously on a balcony, trying to hang a birdhouse he made at school. Alice, realizing the danger, tries to crawl through a small tunnel-like break in the hedge separating the two properties but her large sunhat prevents her from doing so quickly. She then runs around the hedge to reach the front door and attempts to alert Céline, who is inside vacuuming.