The Mulvaneys, a seemingly perfect family, are nearly destroyed after daughter Marianne (Tammy Blanchard) is raped at the school prom. Patriarch Michael (Beau Bridges) descends into alcoholism afterward, while mother Corinne (Blythe Danner) tries to deny the incident happened. As her relationship with her parents becomes cold and distant, Marianne is sent away to a relative's home, and her once-pristine reputation is left to be dragged through the mud until one of her brothers takes action.