In 1960s Montana, a teenage boy witnesses his parents' marriage crumbling after his father loses his job. The family, previously stable and happy, is forced to confront the realities of a precarious future. The father, desperate to regain his dignity and provide for his family, makes a rash decision to join the effort to fight a large forest fire near the Canadian border. This leaves the mother and son to fend for themselves in an environment where they are already seen as outsiders. The boy observes his mother's struggle to adapt to their new situation, her efforts to find work, and her attempts to find a sense of independence and identity amid the societal expectations of the time.

The separation caused by the father's absence brings to the surface underlying tensions and questions about loyalty, love, and survival. As the mother tries to navigate her newfound freedom and the challenges of raising a son on her own, the boy experiences a rapid coming of age, bearing witness to the complexities of adult relationships and the harsh realities of economic instability. The dynamic between mother and son evolves as they are pushed to their limits, each coping with the absence of the family's patriarch in their own way. This forced independence thrusts the boy into a premature understanding of the adult world, changing his perspective on family, responsibility, and the nature of happiness.