Aging writer Levi Rockwell (Burt Lancaster) is dying, but his large family doesn't know it as he invites them to his big beach house in the Hamptons. And after they arrive, Levi sticks close to his many grandchildren, especially Cy Blue Black (Macaulay Culkin). The youngsters are much less afraid of talking about mortality than their parents are, so Levi reveals his last wish is to have an impressive Viking funeral. The kids aim to make it a reality as Levi tries to get closer with his own kids.