Vietnam War vet Stephen Simmons (Kevin Costner) deals with an entirely different set of conflicts at home in 1970 Mississippi as he copes with post-traumatic stress disorder and employment difficulties, and helps his son Stuart (Elijah Wood) stand up to a group of bullies. Stuart and his siblings build a tree house and when the bullies move in, Stephen helps his kids defend their turf. Mare Winningham also stars in this Jon Avnet-directed film.