The story takes place in the United States in 1960. Janet (Carey Mulligan) and her husband Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal) have been married for many years. Their son Joey (Ed Oxenbould) is already 14 years old. The family of three lives quietly. Recently, the family moved to Montana, where Jerry found a job as a golf coach. An accident caused Jerry to lose his job, which plunged the whole family into an economic crisis. After being unemployed, Jerry wandered the streets all day long, and later gave himself a temporary firefighter position. Since then, he has spent less time at home. Janet gradually saw her husband's incompetence and cowardice, and decided to go out to find a job to support herself. In the process, she met a car dealer named Warren (Bill Camp).