The Humbling

Simon Axler, a renowned stage actor in his twilight years, finds himself suddenly stripped of his artistic gift. The once-magnificent performances that earned him widespread acclaim are now marred by forgettable portrayals of Prospero and Macbeth at the esteemed Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., leaving Axler (played by) reeling from the scathing reviews. His despair deepens into a crippling depression, causing him to abandon his craft and contemplate a desperate escape from his torment, armed with a shotgun hidden away in his attic. The crushing weight of his own failure drives Victoria, his former ballerina wife, to flee to California, where their son resides.

As Axler's world crumbles around him, he checks himself into a psychiatric hospital at the behest of his physician, submitting to 26 days of intense therapy. It is within these sterile walls that he encounters Sybil Van Buren, another patient who shares with him the harrowing tale of her second husband's depraved abuse of their young daughter. Her anguish is palpable as she recounts her shame and regret at not having intervened sooner, as well as her own suicidal impulses. Sybil implores Axler to consider taking drastic action against her tormentor, but he demurs, fearing his ineptitude would only lead to further tragedy.

Months later, Jerry Oppenheim, Axler's agent, pays him a visit at his upstate New York retreat, bearing news of an offer to play James Tyrone in Long Day's Journey into Night. However, Axler is too mired in self-doubt to accept the role, convinced that another failure awaits him. Amidst the fan mail Oppenheim brings, Axler discovers a poignant letter from Sybil, expressing her gratitude for his compassionate ear during their hospital stay. She confesses that she did not recognize him at the time but was moved to write after stumbling upon one of his classic films on television.

Axler's isolation is eventually disrupted by Pegeen Mike Stapleford, the 40-year-old daughter of two veteran actors with whom he once shared the stage. Now a professor at a Vermont women's college, Pegeen has fled a six-year relationship with a woman who has chosen to undergo gender reassignment surgery, seeking to redefine her identity as a man. Her career prospects were revitalized after she yielded to the advances of the school's besotted dean, Louise Renner.

As Simon (Axler) and Pegeen's clandestine affair unfolds, a toxic undercurrent begins to seep into their relationship. The 17-year span of Pegeen's lesbian past, once a badge of identity, is now dismissed as an inconvenient relic in the face of her newfound attraction to Simon. This betrayal sparks outrage from Louise, whose own sense of rejection and abandonment fuels a relentless stalking campaign against Pegeen. Months later, when Louise reveals Pegeen's new relationship to her parents, Asa (Pegeen's father) disapproves not only because of the age gap but also due to his own professional insecurity, his small-town community theater endeavors paling in comparison to Simon's urban sophistication.

Meanwhile, as Simon navigates the treacherous waters of Pegeen's family dynamics, he becomes entangled in the aftermath of Sybil's tragic shooting of her estranged husband. His offer to aid in Sybil's defense is an attempt to distract himself from the turmoil brewing at home and to reassert his control over the narrative.

One fateful evening, Pegeen "gifts" Simon Lara, a 19-year-old college student, as a fantasy partner and participant in their sexual role-playing. This calculated move may have been intended to revitalize their relationship but ultimately serves only to further fragment Simon's already precarious sense of self. As the days pass, Axler finds himself enticed by Tracy, a young woman whose reckless abandon mirrors his own growing desperation.

The culmination of this downward spiral is the ill-fated dinner date that ends in a drunken threesome with Tracy. Her admission that she recognized Simon as a famous actor serves only to deepen his insecurities and accelerate his slide into despair. His decision to visit a fertility specialist, motivated by a desire to father a child with Pegeen, is a desperate attempt to anchor himself to this doomed relationship.

Two weeks later, Pegeen ends their affair, citing regret for her mistakes. Simon's accusatory outburst at her parents, fueled by his own perceived injustices, marks the beginning of the end. In a tragic catharsis, Axler takes his life with his shotgun, forever entwining his legacy with the destructive forces that had been consuming him.