Fonda plays Ulee Jackson, a Vietnam Vet, widower and grandfather. He is a beekeeper by profession, who raises two granddaughters because his son (played by Wood) is in prison and his daughter-in-law Helen has run away to a drug user’s existence. The son implores him to look for his wife and bring her home. Upon returning home with Helen, Ulee’s granddaughters see their mother going through a severe detox, and plead with their neighbor Connie to help her. Connie is a twice-divorced nurse who assists Ulee in detoxifying his daughter-in-law. The film shows Ulee holding the family together and attempting to protect them from two young criminals, associates of his son, who come looking for a hidden stash of cash.