[2][3] A young woman named Stella is dying in a hospital of leukemia.

A man named Richard Lansky who arrives at the hospital is mistaken for her relative and he is told of Stella's prognosis.

The accidental occurrence results in the two forming a romantic relationship in the short period of time Stella has left to live.

Why, for instance, is Richard so callous to a girl he knows is dying of leukaemia?

And why, in particular, does Stella have so much faith in a composer whose ability is clearly limited to writing bland scores of the type that accompanies this film?