Spanning three decades, the lives of the blue-collar Franklin family and upper-class residents of Bryant, Illinois, intersect and collide.

The character-driven story begins in 1970 and portrays Michael Franklin's antagonistic relationship with his widowed father, a garbage man struggling to raise Michael in the poor section of town, and Michael's fight against his predetermined destiny.

Sheriff Harlen Nordstrom and his friends meet every morning at their local greasy spoon to check the pulse of their town. The depth of the men's friendship is tested when a murder is committed and covered up. Two decades later, Michael Franklin returns to his hometown and blackmails the sheriff and three community pillars with his memories of the suspicious death.

In a race against time, Michael must choose whether to fulfill his vengeful plans or save his father's life.