Jessica Biel, Garry Marshall, Steven Collins, and Jason Clarke headline director Bill Purple's melancholy short about an anti-social math wiz and chess fanatic whose misanthropic worldview is challenged by a lovable little canine. Howard (Clarke) is a "perpetual student" whose uncanny knack for numbers has resulted in a false sense of superiority. Simply put, Howard sees himself as superior to nearly everyone he encounters - including the ageing chess champion that he defeats in a high-profile tournament. When Howard realizes that he's in serious need of some work-study money, his advisor sets him up with a job in a research lab. Now, as the mousy, sensitive lab tech works overtime to prevent Howard from discovering the secrets of their research, the man who views the world through darkened shades of contempt strikes up a most unexpected friendship. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi