Jean Dwight (Brenda Blethyn) is a middle-aged mother of two grown sons who is unhappy with how her life has turned out. Her career as a comedienne was going well until she married John (Frankie J. Holden), a country singer, and things took a skid backwards. She divorced him but still lets him see 20-year-old Tim (Khan Chittenden) and Mark (Richard Wilson), who was brain-damaged at birth. Jean dominates both of her sons, and they have learned to cope with her mood swings. She has given Tim money to get into the moving business and he, in turn, looks after his brother. Unable to support herself as a comedienne, Jean works a day shift at a cafeteria.
Tim meets Jill (Emma Booth), and they begin a romantic relationship. He is very shy and covers up that he is a virgin. Comparing herself unfavorably with her sexy roommate Kelly (Katie Wall), Jill is self-conscious about her body. The two of them struggle to relax with each other and be patient. But the real conflict comes when Jean sees Jill as an intruder in her private kingdom. She does everything she can to make her feel like an outsider. Things in the Dwight household go from bad to worse when Jean has a big audition which she hopes will resurrect her flagging career.
Cherie Nowlan directs this coming-of-age drama written by Keith Thompson. We all have to deal with difficult people in our lives and often they are family members. They push all our buttons and usually we react by leaving or trying to get even by fighting back. Tim realizes that he has to renegotiate his relationship with Jean and that he cannot continue to let her shape his life. It is fascinating to watch him mature in his love for Jill and to stand up for himself when the time is right. Introducing the Dwights shows how difficult people can help us refine and polish our finer qualities.
