Elaine Kendall, a determined Staten Island housewife, fights to keep her family together in the face of growing chaos. A once passionate love affair with her husband Ed, a proud Vietnam veteran, is evaporating after many years of unspoken regrets. Together, they struggle to make sense of the blossoming romance between their adult, mentally challenged daughter and a provocative co- worker. Meanwhile, their patriotic eldest son fights to overcome physical and psychological scars from serving in the Gulf War in Iraq. Their youngest son lives in the shadow of his brother’s accomplishments, wishing nothing more than to carve out his own place in his father’s heart.