Beau Bridges plays Bill Januson, a father struggling to support his family and whose pride and optimism prevent him from seeking help until it is too late.

[2] The film tells the story of the Januson family: widowed father Bill and his two children, Willa and Robbie.

He tells Bill that Willa is now at the age when any period of time without adequate nutrition can have long lasting and irreversible implications.

At first, he helps people bring their groceries to their car and then he walks through the park looking for cans and bottles to recycle.

After spending some time together, Robbie and Gus enter into a partnership with each other to fix an old car so they can sell it.

After trying and failing to find a better job, Bill goes to apply for food stamps and is told that the earliest he can receive assistance will be in five days.