In this drama set in Montana in 1954, Dan Morgan (Ray Baker) is hospitalized after a bad accident on his ranch. Bored with life in this small community, his wife Kathleen wants to sell their property and move away. Although she turns down an offer by a stranger (Peter Coyote) to go to California , the yearning for escape begins to dominate her consciousness. The Morgans' 14 year-old daughter Anna Mae (Megan Follows), on the other hand, is determined to save the family ranch. With great pluck, she gets her father's former hired hand (Frederic Forrest) to repair the damaged stacking equipment and to help her bring in the harvest.

In a relaxed and convincing way, this film written by Victoria Jenkins and directed by Martin Rosen shows how their dreams can take a mother and a daughter in very different directions. Anne Mae comes of age by shouldering responsibility while her mother leaves on her own for California. Christine Lahti's nuanced performance of this lonely, isolated and restless woman lends stature to Kathleen's desperate quest for a life of her own making.