After being severely injuredin a runaway horse accident,the family patriarch Bertram ( Charles Durning) lies in ahospital bed plotting revenge against Mel, the four legged 'enemy' heblames for putting him there. So when his eldest daughter Kate (Jessica Lange) comes tovisit,the father has but one request 'Shoot that horse!' By chance his alcoholic brother Dane (Donald Moffat) is in the same hospital drying out. Meanwhile backat the house, Kate's mom (Ann Wedgeworth) is losing her grip on reality and Kate'ssister Rita (Tess Harper) has her own problems with a teenage daughter Jilly (Patricia Arquette) who hasrecently discovered booze and boys. Between her ornery father,her fedup sister, her wild niece and her spaced out mom, Minnesotan turned NewYorker Kate is in for one helluva family visit!