Jim (Casey Affleck) is returning to his home town in Indiana after realizing he just can't hack it in a huge Metropolis like New York. When he returns to his home, he begins to remember why he left. Living in his childhood bedroom at his parents' home, he starts to feel closed in thanks to his overbearing mother (Mary Kay Place), his silent father (Seymour Cassel) and his down in the dumps older brother (Kevin Corrigan).
Not long after Jim arrives home, his brother is involved in a strange car accident, leaving Jim to take over many of the duties the older sibling had been performing. He spends his days working at his parents' factory and giving a hand with his two young nieces. These obligations leave Jim dealing with various anxieties, but he makes the best of it.
Things take a turn for the better, though, when Jim begins a relationship with a local nurse (Liv Tyler). A mother with a young son, she helps Jim learn how to move forward without leaving the things that dwell in his past behind him. (Kim Hollis/BOP)