Amanda Wingfield lives in a neighbourhood for the lower middle class with her two children. Her husband left her years ago. Amanda does everything she can to provide a good future for her children.

Both children live in a fantasy world they created themselves. Son Tom works in a shoe store, but has poetic ambitions. He is thinking about running away from home. Daughter Laura is mildly disabled as a result of an illness during her childhood. She lives a secluded life, estranged from the world. The shy Laura is just as fragile as the collection of glass toy animals she carefully built up and cherished.

Amanda is looking for a husband for her daughter. Encouraged by his mother, Tom invites a colleague to come over for dinner at their house. Jim was an athlete during his youth. He turns out not to be a stranger to Laura. The arrival of the young man puts the already problematic relationships within the family under high pressure.