两兄弟时常跟父亲一起垂纶。潺潺河水，静静午后，成了父子间最难忘的时刻。父亲是一个老牧师，时常在镇上传教，大儿子诺曼（克莱格?谢佛 Craig Sheffer 饰）恰是继续了父亲的事业——他善于授课，大学毕业后回抵田园传道授业。小儿子保罗（布拉德?皮特 Brad Pitt 饰）却有着悬殊的性情——他酷好自由，有一套奇异的垂纶方式。然而，使人担心的是…

10-year-old Harriet dreams of leaving her home, where she doesn't feel she's needed by her mother and sister Gwen. When her mother dies in a car accident, she really starts to make plans for leaving and she finally does so together with her childlike (mentally ill) friend Ricky.