已过而立之年的杰西(乔什·拉德诺 Josh Radnor 饰)厌倦了乏味单调的工作,他总是怀念着以往的大学生活,曾经的食堂和寝室、聚会和诗会常常浮现在他脑海。这天,他突然接到大学时代最喜欢的彼得教授(理查·詹金斯 Richard Jenkins 饰)的邀请,希望他能在自己的退休晚宴上做个演讲,杰西简直迫不及待地前去赴约。令人意想不到的是,在晚宴上他遇到了一位19岁的女学生吉比(伊丽莎白·奥尔森 Elizabeth Olsen 饰),吉比非常喜欢他的演讲,在交谈中,两人竟发现对方在文学、艺术上的爱好几乎一模一样,彼此渐渐互生情愫。然而,现实的年龄差距却似乎总是阻隔在两人之间的藩篱……Thirty-five year old Jesse Fisher, an admissions officer at a New York City post-secondary institution he who loves English and literature, has somewhat lost his passion in life, which includes recently being unceremoniously dumped by his latest girlfriend, who could no longer be the person to prop him up emotionally. He has a chance to find that passion again when he is invited to the retirement dinner of his second favorite Ohio University college professor, Peter Hoberg, as his time there was when his life held the most passion. Jesse's encounters with five people there may determine if he does find that passion again. They are: Hoberg, who is resisting the notion of retirement; Judith Fairfield, Jesse's favorite professor, although for a different reason than his like of Hoberg; Nat, a free spirit who navigates life at the institution on his own terms; undergraduate student Dean, who Jesse sees as a younger more destructive version of himself; and nineteen year old undergraduate student Zibby, who is seemingly wise beyond her years and with who Jesse embarks on a relationship despite their sixteen year age difference.