故事发生在50年代的爱尔兰,德斯蒙德(皮尔斯·布鲁斯南 Pierce Brosnan 饰)的妻子离开了他,留下两个儿子和一个女儿艾芙琳(索菲·瓦瓦塞尔 Sophie Vavasseur 饰)同他相依为命。祸不单行,德斯蒙德在一场意外中丢掉了工作,没有收入的他选择夜夜在酒吧流连,依靠酒精来麻痹痛苦的神经。 政府很快就发现了德斯蒙德糟糕的经济和精神状态,认定他不再适合抚养孩子,于是,他的三个孩子被送入了收容所。在收容所里,艾芙琳遭到了非人的虐待,这让德斯蒙德重燃斗志。在伯纳黛特(朱丽安娜·玛格丽丝 Julianna Margulies 饰)的帮助下,德斯蒙德重新振作起来,有了工作和积蓄的他决定向收容所申请要回他的孩子。1953. Desmond Doyle is devastated when his wife abandons their family on the day after Christmas. His unemployment and the fact that there is no woman in the house to care for the children, Evelyn, Dermot and Maurice, make it clear to the authorities that his is an untenable situation. The Irish courts put the Doyle children into Church-run orphanages. Although a sympathetic judge assures Desmond that he'll get his children back after he gets a job, he learns there's another barrier. During that time, Evelyn suffers abuse while Desmond goes to court to get his children back. A barmaid, her brother, her suitor, and a tippling footballer become Desmond's team.