We're in Jerry Springer country, rural Texas on the day of Peggy's funeral as her family members (daughters Bedelia and Walker, sister Grant) engage in a bit of self-absorbed finger-pointing to cope with their grief. Most of the accusations centre on the adulterous GW (Bridges) and his none-too-pleased wife (Burke). Meanwhile in California, Peggy's grandson (Geiger) is struggling to cope with his sexuality, while her son (Jordan) was institutionalised 23 years ago for his.

The remarkable ensemble cast pulls out all the stops, delivering performances that work as both broad farce and intimate drama. These are real people, flesh and blood, struggling with their opinions, feelings and faith in authentic, difficult ways. Shores juggles all the characters and situations perfectly--even Newton-John's trashy bar singer with the voice (literally) of an angel fits right in. And alongside the garish humour, the film finds emotional resonance as it wrestles with aspects of identity, death and family.