Sam and George are childhood friends, sharing a deep loyalty that is cemented when George, the older by three years, saves Sam from drowning. When George decides to enlist during Vietnam, and Sam's first sexual experiences lead to a pregnancy, the stress and pressures are too much for Sam's mind to process. He breaks and has his first experience of a psychiatric hospital. As he faces the stigma of mental illness, his girlfriend Delores is ostracized after having an abortion. The two run away to join a commune. When the consequences of their choices unfold, Sam faces the frailty of relationships, the danger of misplaced emotion, and a complete loss of control. Returning home again, Sam begins a long journey to regain a sense of what is real, what is true and what is his responsibility.