Harper Sloane (Sarah Polley) is a 21-year-old young woman from a privileged background who feels stifled by her family. When she meets Connie Fitzpatrick (Stephen Rea), a 50-year-old, wet-eyed, hangdog-drunk man who’s a photographer, she’s intrigued, and is tempted to run away with him to become his muse and apprentice. She then finds out he’s a bit of a cad and returns to her family. But not for long. The couple decide to go off to Los Angeles together, and along the way Harper finally begins to chase her dream of being an artist.