The matriarch of a confused trio of daughters, Jane Marks (Blethyn), is obsessed with her weight and decides that if she does something about it
she will attract more attention from the opposite sex. Former homecoming queen Michelle (Keener), the eldest daughter, is involved in a loveless
marriage, while the younger sister Elizabeth (Mortimer) is an insecure actress whose career is beginning to take off.
It's the youngest sister, Annie, an adopted African American eight-year-old, who seems to be the only grounded person in the family. "But
when in Rome..." Annie develops a preoccupation with her appearance and given her adoptive family's history it's quite possible that it will turn into
a neurosis.
Each of the women seeks redemption in her own haphazard way, but whatever salvation they find is illusory and short-lived.