Plot

Desperate to provide care for her daughter, down-on-her-luck Jean moves in with her father in-law from whom she is estranged. Through time, they learn to forgive each other and heal old wounds.

To escape an abusive boyfriend, without announcing her plans in advance, Jean Gilkyson takes her young daughter Griff to the Wyoming ranch of her father-in-law, Einar. Jean and Einar are disaffected, as he blames her for the death of his son in a car accident. Einar is taking care of his friend Mitch, who was attacked by a bear, and Einar does not know that he has a granddaughter. While Mitch heals and forgives the bear, Einar also changes his feelings regarding Jean, finally understanding that accidents happen and accepting her and loving Griff.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Trying to escape her abusive boyfriend, widowed Jean, her daughter Griff in tow, takes refuge in the only place she feels she can hide in safety -- the Wyoming ranch of her estranged father-in-law, Einar. Einar, who did not know of his granddaughter's existence, does not welcome them, as he still blames Jean for the car accident that ended the life of his son (to whom Jean was married) twelve years earlier, but he allows them to stay for the month, enough time for Jean to earn enough money to move elsewhere. The strain between Jean and Einar increases as she quickly begins a sexual relationship with Sheriff Curtis, whom Griff dislikes solely because of that relationship. Einar's ranching partner Mitch, who is recovering from a bear mauling and who is now permanently disabled, is Einar's voice of reason in trying to convince him to establish a caring relationship with the only family he has left. Mitch's perspective is in part due to the attacking bear -- now captured and on display in town -- with which he has a special attachment.—Huggo

One year ago, a wild bear stole a calf from Mitch (Morgan Freeman) and Einar (Robert Redford)'s ranch. The two friends attempted to save the calf, but the bear viciously attacked Mitch - and because Einar was drunk, he failed to save him from serious injury. The bear escaped into the mountains.

A year later, Mitch's wounds still cause him constant pain. Einar cares for Mitch daily, giving him morphine injections, food and friendship. He leans his guilt on emotional crutches, while Mitch struggles to walk with a cane. The bear later returns to forage for food in town - and around the same time, Einar's long-lost daughter-in-law Jean (Jennifer Lopez) shows up on his doorstep. Einar wants to shoot the bear down, to make up for what he thinks he should have done a year ago. Einar tracks the bear down, but Sheriff Curtis brings animal control and refuses to get out of Einar's way.

Since Einar's son Griffin died, Jean had fallen into a series of abusive relationships. Jean moved in with Einar to escape her latest abusive boyfriend, Gary (Damian Lewis). Gary used to beat her regularly and claim that it was her fault to push him into that kind of behavior. Jean refused to go to a shelter, as she knew that it was the first place that Gary would look. Jean was not looking to come to Einar, but her car broke down and Griff made her realize that they were only 500 miles from Wyoming.

Sheriff Crane Curtis (Josh Lucas) captures the bear and displays him in the town zoo. Likewise, Jean and her daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) move in with Einar and Mitch. Einar doesn't want Jean to stay with him, but she pleads that she needs shelter for a month, just so she can earn enough to move on. Einar's son, Griffin, had moved away and married Jean years ago, causing a rift in the family that snapped when Griffin died in a car accident. Tensions build as Einar has always blamed Jean for his son's death and because both are still grieving for Griffin. Griffin was a rodeo cowboy. Einar had to give up his cow running business after Griffin moved away and Mitch got mauled. He then sold the stock just to hold on to the ranch. A year after Griffin died, Einar's wife Nellie also left him as Einar could never come to terms with Griffin's death.

Jean slowly falls in love with Sheriff Curtis, but little Griff can't open up to him or trust him because of Jean's bad experiences. Jean tells Curtis about Gary and even shows him the police report that she filed against him earlier. Mitch asks Einar to go and check on the bear at the zoo regularly. The bear is miserable inside its cage and has stopped eating anything.

Jean starts working at a local coffee shop. There she befriends Nina (Camryn Manheim), another waitress, who helps her understand Einar's gruff ways and dark past. Jean is a looker and the business at the shop picks up after she joins as a waitress as many customers come in just to look at her. Meanwhile, Gary has tracked Jean down and appears in town. Initially, Einar and the sheriff throw him out of town. Tensions in the family continue to build. One night, Gary arrives to harass Jean and Griff. He and Einar have an explosive confrontation that pushes Einar to the brink.

Einar returns to the ranch and demands that Jean tells him how Griffin died. Jean says they flipped a coin to determine who would drive - she lost. At 3 a.m., the two tired souls set out for the last leg of their trip. Jean fell asleep at the wheel. The car flipped six times. Griffin died, but Jean survived and discovered she was pregnant with Griff. When he learns the truth about why his son was ripped from him too soon, Einar says they'll have to talk about Jean moving out. Jean says she's through talking. The next morning, she takes Griff with her and leaves to stay with Nina, who ends up helping her understand Einar's gruff ways and bitterness because Nina is also grieving the loss of her own daughter. Griff, who loves her grandfather as the first strong male figure in her life, runs back to the ranch alone. Einar and Griff go on a camping trip. Einar and Mitch teach her to be a real Wyoming cowgirl.

The "camping trip" is a cover story meant to allow them time to carry out a request from Mitch to set free the bear who mauled him. Mitch insists that Einar set the bear who handicapped him free, although the plan does not go off without a hitch. Griff accidentally knocks the gearshift lever into neutral while Einar is luring the bear into the cage. The bear gets free, and Einar is injured as he jumps out of the way. Griff drives Einar to the hospital. Einar lands in the hospital, where he and Jean attempt to reconcile. Einar invites Jean to come back and live with him and Griff. Back at the ranch, Mitch survives a peaceful confrontation with the bear from his past. It flees to the mountains where it belongs.

Meanwhile, Gary returns to the area and comes to the ranch the next day to accost Jean. He and Einar have an explosive confrontation that ends in Einar threatening Gary with his rifle, before badly beating him up. Gary, battered and exhausted, leaves on a Trailways bus as it moves through Nebraska.

Einar affectionately talks with one of his cats - who throughout the whole story he coldly ignored. Griff invites Sheriff Curtis for lunch when he drops by to see Jean (previously Griff, knowing of her mother fooling around with Sheriff, had told him not to stay for lunch). All is well as Mitch narrates the last seconds of the story, describing to Einar his dreams of flying above the earth and coming to understand things about life.