The members of a Danish family are thrown into many a crisis by the death of the mother. John, the deceased's widower, is something of a joker; an old charmer who allowed his wife to spoil him for 46 long years and who never really had to take on responsibility for his family. Eva, the oldest daughter, has been living way out in the sticks for years. She thinks of herself as the black sheep of the family and is determined to live up to her reputation. Tom, the middle child, has a successful business. He never gave much thought to anything before, but his mother's death makes him throw himself into his work with a vengeance, which leads to arguments with his neglected wife, Lisbeth. Marianne is the baby of the family who somehow never managed to leave the nest. She still lives at the parental home and, up to her mother's death, never earned a penny of her own. She and her mother were very close to each other; now that she's gone, Marianne longs to be independent and to have a boyfriend.