The movie begins with the family of Louis and Rachel, who have moved to a small town near Boston after Louis took a job as a local doctor. Their children, Ellie and Gage, and their cat Church, are adjusting to their new home. While exploring, Ellie nearly gets hurt on a swing, and Gage almost runs into the path of a truck but is saved by a neighbor named Jud. Jud warns the family about the dangers of the road and introduces them to a local pet cemetery where animals killed by trucks are buried. Rachel is unsettled by this, but Jud believes in teaching children about death. Later, Ellie expresses her fear about Church dying, but Louis reassures her, comforting her with the promise that the cat will be fine.