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Anger, jealousy and dysfunction, resulting from a death in the family, all come to a head at a 21st birthday party. 

On Jack Ferris’ 21st birthday, he must come to terms with his relatives: a mother with whom he has grown very distant; a sister who everyone thinks is crazy; a stepfather that he does not get along with, and that he didn’t want.  To top it all off, his mother guilted him into coming to the party she planned for him.  During the weekend, they all must confront the ghosts of the past, and the things left unsaid.
Alpha Male is the story of family, and all the things that come with family, including the silences, the secrets and lies.  It’s about the grudges, the distances between people, jealousy, forgiveness, and coming home.  Mostly, it’s about how death changes a family dynamic.
The tale of the Ferris family is told through flashbacks.  When Jack is 12, his father Jim, the quintessential patriarch, becomes terminally ill.  To prepare him for his death, Jim tells Jack that when he’s gone, Jack take his place as the father.  It will be Jack’s responsibility to keep the family together.  Although Jim, in his own way, says goodbye to Jack, he says nothing to his daughter Elyssa. 
His final interactions, or lack thereof, with his children, have lasting consequences.  Elyssa becomes withdrawn, and poisons her aunt’s dogs.  Jack attempts to take on the role of an adult, but is limited by his 12-year-old mentality.  When his mother Alice begins to date again, he sees it as the ultimate betrayal, and begins to act out, demonstrating his loathing for the new man in his mother’s life. 
Although a serious film, there are definite moments of levity.  When Elyssa is having trouble sleeping one night, instead of reading her a traditional bedtime story, Jim reads her the business section of the newspaper.  Overall, Alpha Male is definitely serious, definitely thought provoking, and definitely watchable.

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