A young girl from a family of migrant workers in California is invited to her wealthier school friend's birthday party.

A married couple tries to make ends meet for their hungry and sick children in the midst of the Depression but soon realize that sheer willpower cannot save them from the ruthless winter.

An elderly couple argue over their farm and house labor. When they agree to switch responsibilities, they must confront their obstinacy, strained relationship, and most significantly, exhausted old age as they struggle to complete their tasks.

A hungry vagabond in rural Georgia during the 1930s finds himself going to desperate lengths to find a safe place to rest and a meal to eat after unlucky encounters with the law and locals in the towns he travels to.