A series of overlapping stories about four suburban families dealing with different maladies. Esther Gold’s (Glenn Close) life is consumed by caring for her comatose son; Jim Train (Dermot Mulroney) is sent into a tailspin when he's passed over for a promotion; Annette Jenning's (Patricia Clarkson) family is struggling in the wake of her divorce; Helen Christianson (Mary Kay Place) is determined to shake up her mundane life.