Meg Ryan directed Ithaca, based on the novel The Human Comedy written by William Saroyan. The movie takes place in 1942, when Homer Macauley, played by Alex Neustaedter, decided to become the best bike telegraph messenger. His old brother, Marcus (Jack Quaid), left for take part to the war, after their father (Tom Hanks) died recently. The young Homer has to take care of his mother (Meg Ryan), his older sister and his younger brother.