贾姬(苏珊·萨兰登 Susan Sarandon饰)是路克(艾德·哈里斯 Ed Harris饰)的前任妻子。她为他生下一对儿女,精心操持家务,却终因性格不合而宣告婚姻失败。离婚三年来,儿女一直由贾姬和路克轮番照料,生活倒也波澜不惊,直到女摄影师伊莎贝尔(朱莉娅·罗伯茨 Julia Roberts饰)和路克堕入情网,矛盾开始繁衍激化。
伊莎贝尔搬到路克家来,一心一意要做一个合格的继母。即使她没有多少持家经验,但还是设法和孩子们快乐相处,让他们接受自己。事与愿违,在孩子的心中,谁也无法替代生母贾姬的地位。而贾姬的心情更是复杂。她已经身患癌症,当然盼望有个好继母照顾孩子。可是,妒嫉心却让她不愿看到伊莎贝尔和孩子们情如骨肉。病症一天天恶化,心理挣扎的贾姬,终于有了令人释怀的决定。
Through a navigative journey of absurd bureaucracy, underground deals, and an increasingly surreal reality, Bahram, an Iranian-Azeri filmmaker, decides to screen his banned film without official permission. But when the long-awaited screening finally begins, he never could have anticipated what happens next.