A young Hawaiian girl dreams of a better life for her family in the face of intense familial conflict, physical and emotional abuse, and death.

Young protagonist Carlie bends to the will of her volatile and emotionally abusive mother Andrea, loving Andy even as she makes invasive demands, exposes her daughter to nudity and drugs without a qualm, and leaves her in compromising situations.

An encounter with a little boy and his abusive mother at an airport causes an old woman to reflect upon her relationship with her children and her late, depressive, and abusive ex-husband.

A college student uses brutal method acting techniques to rehearse Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull under a tyrannical director. In the process, he and his co-star confront their own misery and arising feelings of love.