Ten year old Chris Marino in a blue-collar beach town where he can often be found fishing at the waters edge. His father John (Emmy Award Winner Joe Pantoliano), is a carpenter and his mother Mary (Academy Award Winner Marcia Gay Harden), suffers from schizophrenia and paints her dreams onto canvas. When Marys illness lead her to violence that endangers the entire family, John has no choice but to hospitalise the woman he loves.

Unable to cope with his wife's illness, John immerses himself day and night building a sailboat from scratch, neglecting his son and his job. The film traces the family's journey, from struggling to cope, to learning to accept and ultimately coming closer together through love, understanding and mutual support.