After the death of his beloved wife of forty-five years, a sarcastic, sharp-tongued, seventy-year-old retiree unexpectedly reinvents himself proving that grief doesn’t end life, it redefines it.

SYNOPSIS:

Bill McCoy, 69, has just buried his wife Betsy, his partner of forty-five years. The house is quiet, the routines are gone, and everyone around him expects grief to swallow him whole. Instead, Bill surprises everyone, including himself, by leaning into life.

Golf days continue. Wine flows more freely. A chance encounter at a grocery store leads to dinner, laughter, and something Bill never expected again: desire. With Betsy gone, the rules of his life quietly dissolve, and Bill begins experiencing a series of “firsts” he never thought he’d have at seventy—dating, sexual exploration, independence, and emotional honesty.

Bill’s journey is buoyed by a hilarious and loyal supporting cast: his lifelong golf buddies who serve as crude philosophers of aging masculinity, his outspoken daughters who oscillate between pride and panic, and George, a shelter dog whose loss mirrors Bill’s own and becomes his emotional anchor. But as Bill’s confidence and appetite for life grows, his body begins to push back. A sudden collapse and hospital stay reveal a dangerous heart condition, forcing Bill to confront a new truth: living fully doesn’t mean living recklessly.

The final act finds Bill recalibrating—not retreating but learning balance. He doesn’t abandon romance, friendship, or joy. Instead, he embraces them with intention, humor, and a renewed appreciation for the people who love him.

The Firsts is a funny, tender, and deeply relatable film about rediscovering joy after loss—proof that even at seventy, life still has surprises worth sticking around for.

THE FIRSTS