Tight-lipped Englishman Alex Hughes is traveling through Ontario on his way to meet the mother of his son with whom he has had a distant relationship. He begrudgingly decides to pick up Vivienne, a young and feisty hitchhiker. When the car is suddenly hit by a truck, Vivienne dies instantly, and Alex finds himself grieving for someone he never knew. Now, shocked and stranded on the outskirts of Wawa, Vivienne’s hometown, Alex decides to track down her mother, Linda Freeman, to talk to her in person about the fate of her daughter. When Alex comes face to face with Linda, he discovers that she is autistic. While she understands what has happened, she shows little emotion. He slowly becomes increasingly involved in Linda’s life and the community to which she feels complete indifference, in part because of her condition. Linda in turn becomes attached--to the degree that she is emotionally capable--to Alex, and to what he can do for her. In the meantime, Alex also forms a relationship with Linda’s sexy, independent neighbor, Maggie, and becomes the object of scrutiny by the ineffectual local law enforcement officer Clyde, who, besides being jealous of Alex’s new relationship with Maggie, believes he’s discovered a dark secret in Alex’s past. As Vivienne’s funeral approaches, and with the help of Maggie's understanding and Linda's unique window into the world, Alex confronts his past and both the sadness and anger that have built up within him.