A wife and mother in 1915 Tennessee copes with the loss of her husband and the necessity of raising their children alone.

Sally Field
as Mary Follet

William Hurt
as Jay Follet

Ned Beatty
as Ralph Follet

Ellen Corby
as Great-Gandmaw

Ann Doran
as Great-Aunt Sadie

Betty Garrett
as Catherine

Murray Hamilton
as Joel Lynch

Polly Holliday
as Aunt Hannah

Michael Horton
as Andrew

Jeremy Licht
as Rufus Follet