In every city, on every block, in each house, a war is raging... For returning Vietnam veteran Jeremy Collier, Thanksgiving, 1972 is the most difficult of times. He's been back in his Texas hometown for a full year, but can't seem to forget what happened to him in the war. Worse yet, his family doesn't have a clue as to how to deal with him. His father Bob, who owns a successful car dealership in town, is determined to be the boss at home at all costs. His mother, Maurine, refuses to see that her troubled son is desperately calling out for help. Jeremy's sister, Karen, is a college student who, misguidedly, thinks that she understands her brother's plight. Appearances are important in the Collier family. Jeremy knows that he can no longer be a part in keeping such appearances up. And over the coming Thanksgiving weekend, the Colliers' world will be shattered as Jeremy's rancour ignites a confrontation that will shake the Colliers down to their very foundation as a family.