霍维（艾伦·艾克哈特 Aaron Eckhart 饰）和贝卡（妮可·基德曼 Nicole Kidman 饰）原本过着悠哉快活的中产阶级生活，夫妻恩爱，儿子丹尼乖巧伶俐，但是一场车祸夺去丹尼的性命，也彻底摧毁霍维夫妇的生活。贝卡从此将自己禁锢在家中，虽然试图通过各种方法消解心中的悲痛，然而她久久无法将儿子的身影从记忆中抹去；霍维试图装作一切从未发生，结果反与妻子的关系日益紧张，争吵不断。贝卡偶然遇见那个导致儿子死亡的高中男孩，她开始有意识地去接近他。烦躁孤独的霍维，则似乎正寻找一个心灵的港湾…… 本片根据大卫·林赛-阿贝尔（David Lindsay-Abaire）的百老汇同名戏剧改编。Becca and Howie Corbett are a happily married couple whose perfect world is forever changed when their young son, Danny, is killed by a car. Becca, an executive-turned-stay-at-home mother, tries to redefine her existence in a surreal landscape of well-meaning family and friends. Painful, poignant, and often funny, Becca's experiences lead her to find solace in a mysterious relationship with a troubled young comic-book artist, Jason - the teenage driver of the car that killed Danny. Becca's fixation with Jason pulls her away from memories of Danny, while Howie immerses himself in the past, seeking refuge in outsiders who offer him something Becca is unable to give. The Corbetts, both adrift, make surprising and dangerous choices as they choose a path that will determine their fate.
