Mattie Rigsbee (Ellen Burstyn) is an elderly widow who finds herself very lonely with no husband and grown children (Judge Reinhold and Gail O’Grady) who are not able to visit her frequently enough. Left only to her strong religious convictions, she finds a lasting friendship with the neighborhood dog catcher, Lamar N. Benfield (Mark Hamill). In turn, he introduces her to his nephew Wesley Benfield (Jonathon Taylor Thomas) who has had more than a few run-ins with the law and is set on a path of delinquency. Ultimately, Mattie decides that it is her duty to befriend Wesley and impart on him her Christian beliefs in an effort to turn his life around.