Tony Norgard wants to go ice fishing but he is pressured to attend his mother-in-law's birthday party. To solve the dilemma, Tony feigns being ill and stays in bed. But his little white lie comes with a heavy price. Through the day, misfortune seems to meet him at every turn. When he meets up with his dad Frank, things get worse. Unaware of the charade, Tony's wife Lila happily goes about her day, sorry that her husband is at home, sick in bed, missing a great weekend of family fun. This comedy tells the tale of a cantankerous father and his bumbling but well-meaning son who share a joyous obsession for the age-old art of ice fishing.