When Lisa Waechter (Julia Roberts) is tragically killed in a car accident while she is attending a family reunion with her husband Charles (Willem Dafoe) at her sister Jane's (Emily Watson), the family is examined through both past and present occurrences. Jane (who is portrayed in youth by Hayden Panettiere) has two children and her son Christopher (Chase Ellison) accidentally caused the accident, making him feel a great degree of guilt. Family life has been strained in the home through the years as Michael (Ryan Reynolds) has always had a difficult relationship with his father. Everyone tries to survive the difficult situation while dealing with a variety of their own issues in this semi-autobiographical tale.