Oscar-nominated filmmaker Todd Field teams up with novelist Tom Perrotta to adapt Perotta's acclaimed novel concerning the suburban malaise experienced by a handful of small town individuals whose lives converge in a variety of surprising, and sometimes ominous, ways.

Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, and Patrick Wilson star as adults who have yet to outgrow some stages of adolescence.

Brad is a man who never got the chance to experience the spotlight in his youth, and now he desperately craves attention, acknowledgment, or admiration in any form.

Sarah is a woman who never learned how to grow past her own selfishness. She is angry at her daughter for needing attention when all Sarah wants is some time to herself.

Larry is a man who still harbours bully-like tendencies and desperately wants to fit in. This is seen through his treatment of Ronnie, a convicted paedophile who has just returned to the neighbourhood.

The tension builds to a dramatic conclusion, forcing the group to face the truth about themselves and finally accept their responsibilities.