Colleen Dewhurst plays Molly Dushane, the widowed matriarch of a small-town family. A tragedy occurred years earlier when her late husband committed suicide after threatening their daughter with a gun, and the family has fumbled with their difficult lives since. Though she often escapes reality by drinking, it doesn't seem escape enough as she finds out her ex-lover has died. In addition to being an alcoholic, she is also suffering from a terminal illness and longs to go to Italy once before she dies. Daughter Micheline (Megan Follows), finally confronting her own life, decides to take her mother to Italy where they find the different perspective they have needed.