Mary Jo Walker (McTeer) is a Southern mother who hides her self-consciousness by overcompensating. She drinks, wears revealing outfits, and says things that other people would never even consider. Fleeing her latest abusive relationship, she and her daughter, twelve-year-old Ava (Brown), head out west. They eventually settle in Starlight Beach, California, and seem to be getting along just fine on their own, but it isn`t long before the cycle threatens to repeat itself. McTeer`s portrayal of Mary Jo is so seamless that one might forget she is even acting. Reminiscent of the character driven films that made 1970s Hollywood so exhilarating.