The Plot Against Harry 1990

A small-time Jewish mobster finds himself released after a nine-month prison sentence, his heart as cold and callous as ever. Upon his release, he learns from his chauffeur, Max Ulman, that his numbers racket has been grabbed by other players, leaving him without control. Searching for a sense of purpose, he reconnects with his ex-brother-in-law, Henry Nemo, who manages a catering service and Jewish event center about to be acquired by a major corporation. Seizing the opportunity, Harry convinces Leo to partner with him; he will fund the purchase, while Leo manages the business, preventing the corporation from taking over their neighborhood.

As the deal goes through, Harry attends various Jewish celebrations—weddings, bar mitzvahs, and even a circumcision—beginning to reconnect with the vibrant New York Jewish community he had forsaken in his youth. Fate throws him back into the lives of his now-adult daughter, whom he hasn’t seen since she was three, and his ex-wife. This reunion unfolds dramatically when a moment of road rage leads to a collision with the car carrying his family.

In a surprising twist, he discovers he has another daughter, who his ex-wife had while they were apart. The once-distant family members increasingly surround him as they partake in numerous Jewish events together. It’s during this time that his younger daughter expresses a desire to stay with him for a while. However, a routine hospital visit results in a troubling diagnosis of an enlarged heart, igniting Harry’s quest for redemption.

When an unexpected subpoena forces Harry to testify before a state panel investigating New York’s gambling scene, he is caught off guard. He’s pressured into admitting he owns the catering business, publicly attributed to Leo for the sake of community image. The panel follows up by requesting the business’s financial documents, raising the stakes significantly. Alarmingly, when Max Ulman, who retains the records, reveals the details of bribes and payoffs, Harry erupts, telling Max to exit his life.

In a panic, Max attempts to destroy the records to protect Harry, but the attempt ends in disaster, leading to a fire alarm evacuation at Harry’s hotel. In the chaos, the husband of Harry’s elder daughter faces wrongful accusations, further straining his relationship with family. Compounding his issues, Harry discovers his ex-wife has reported his parole violations to his officer.

As his younger daughter approaches him with a big favor, Harry starts to recognize the humanity that’s been bubbling to the surface since his release from prison. During a live telethon for heart disease, when he collapses yet again, he interprets this as a sign of his impending death. In a gesture of goodwill, he makes two sizable donations to the cause. On the way to the hospital in an ambulance, surrounded by family, he takes the heat for the botched book-burning incident.

At the hospital, relief washes over him when the doctor reassures Harry that his heart is healthy, with the real issue being merely constipation. Though he faces the reality of losing much of his money and returning to prison for a year for arson charges he did not commit, Harry appears at peace, reconciled with the sacrifices that come with re-entering his community, determined to walk with his head held high.