After a fifteen-year absence, Christian (Paul Schneider) returns home to rural New South Wales for the marriage of his father, Henry (Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush), the wealthy owner of the local mill that's been the economic bedrock of the community for generations.

Christian gets reacquainted with his old friend Oliver (Ewen Leslie) and finds himself drawn to Oliver's family, which includes wife Charlotte (Miranda Otto), daughter Hedvig (Odessa Young), and father-in-law Walter (Sam Neill).

When Henry announces the imminent closure of the mill, it sends a quake through the community, particularly Oliver's family, and the subsequent fissures release bitter secrets.