Ruth is 86 years old, but she still does volunteer work at a local AIDS hospice. Her middle-aged daughter Clara is in far worse shape--sick, depressed, and heartsick over the troubled history of her family. The younger generation is represented by Deborah, a cellist who is torn between wanting to help her mother and wanting to escape her oppressive melancholy. Finally, daughter and grandmother unite in an attempt to help Clara cope with life and its difficulties.