阿廖沙是莫斯科一家小酒馆的乐手，妻子已离他而去美国，另嫁给了美国阔佬。三年后，阿廖沙决定去美国领回他已经七岁的女儿阿纽塔。事情并不顺利，尽管阿纽塔愿意跟随父亲回国，母亲却使用种种手段加以阻挠。阿纽塔离家出走，和父亲一起打算越过墨西哥边境逃出美国。经过一番努力，终未获得成功。在女儿病倒之际，阿廖沙不得不向警方自首……

A small child is trapped in a tug-of-war battle between his frivolous, but loving mother and an emotionally abusive neurotic grandmother, who wants to "shelter" her beloved grandson at all cost.

A comedy based on three short novels by Vasiliy Shukshin.