Young Jeff Lynd (Barry Tubb) is a college student struggling to come to terms with his budding homosexuality. He makes the brave decision to come out to his conservative parents, father Ken (Martin Sheen) and mother Tess (Marlo Thomas). Ken, in poor health and set in his ways, can't accept the news, and distances himself from his son. Meanwhile, well-intentioned Tess, believing her son's "condition" is curable, sends Jeff to be examined by psychiatrists.