 On the surface the story appears to be about the reversal of the family s fortunes when the father dies, but beneath the coping with a move from the privilege of Malibu to the hard-scrabble farm in Northern California, there lurks the question of suicide. In particular, the mother is gripped by the fear of the hereditary effects of suicide. She wants to protect her teenage daughter from the disappointment inherent in chasing her dream of being an actor. Their relationship is further eroded by the mom s inability to discuss the even the possibility of the father s suicide. Add the friction with her late husband s brother, and concern about her young son and you have a woman desperately trying to hold things together.