Part 2/7:
Mercer has a strained relationship with his son, Antoine. As Mercer wakes Antoine for school, a difficult conversation unfolds at the breakfast table. Antoine expresses discomfort living with Mercer, explaining that life felt freer when his mother was alive. The passing of his mother and Mercer’s release from prison has left Antoine feeling confined. Mercer defends his actions as a father, arguing that his strictness stems from a desire to keep Antoine from falling into delinquency.