[2] In the quaint, peaceful community of Cornwall Coombe, Connecticut, all the lives of the townspeople are devoted to tradition and "old ways", as directed by The Widow Fortune (Bette Davis), an herbal healer and midwife, who rules the town both with an iron hand and folksy kindness.

Meanwhile in Manhattan, live the Constantines, Nick (David Ackroyd), Beth (Joanna Miles) and their 15-year-old daughter, Kate (Rosanna Arquette), who comprise a family in crisis: Nick, an ad man, is unhappy with his life; Beth, a housewife, is neurotic, self-centered and obsessed with psychotherapy and Kate is prone to sulking and terrible temper tantrums that trigger her chronic asthma.

Nick also meets, among others, tall and handsome Justin Hooke, who serves as the current ceremonial "Harvest Lord"; Justin's wife, the demure and sweet-natured Sophie, his chosen "Corn Maiden" in the approaching "Corn Play"; and Worthy Pettinger, a young man whose dream of going to agricultural college are frustrated by his parents, who hold to the old ways.

On two separate occasion Kate suffers severe asthma attacka, and both times the Widow Fortune saves her life.

Beth and Kate grow to adore the Widow, but Nick is suspicious of her herbal medicines and finds her unquestioned influence over the town troubling.

Meanwhile, Worthy's letter from Hartford to Nick (despite using a pseudonym) had been intercepted by the wicked and oversexed Tamar Penrose, the postmistress and a former Corn Maiden, who steams it open.

On the day of Harvest Home, Justin's wife, Sophie, unexpectedly commits suicide, so a new Corn Maiden must be chosen.

Robert shockingly reveals that he himself was blinded, his eyeballs gouged out, for attempting to discover the secret of Harvest Home and begs him not to go out again.

Nick tries to escape but he's betrayed by Kate, and the women surround him and blind him, as they had done to Robert Dodd years earlier, while the Widow cuts off his tongue with a pair of shears.

The Dark Secret of Harvest Home has been released on video; this version is more heavily edited, running only 2 hours long.