薇达在1972年的夏天感受人生的特别经验，她的初吻，及学习和父亲分亨另一个女人经历了失去挚友的痛苦。3年后的春天，薇达的继母怀孕，正当一家欣喜期待小生命的来临以及面对好友已有男友的景况，青春期的她因而颢得落寞，在英诗课堂中，老师要求大家写一份报告，主题是选择一个不曾谋面的仰慕人物，薇达决心以去世于难产的母亲为题，但薇达身旁没有对母亲了解深刻的亲友，继母于是鼓励薇达利用春假，飞往母亲的故乡──洛杉矶，探望叔叔以及搜集母亲生平资料。

While searching for a small fortune of embezzled money, an ex-con, a small-time bandleader, his doting wife and a kooky drifter find themselves being followed. Their chase takes them to trailer camps, bingo halls, laundromats and ultimately, a showdown with a group of unconventional bad guys.

Lewis Tater writes Wild West dime novels and dreams of actually becoming a cowboy. When he goes west to find his dream he finds himself in possession of the loot box of two crooks who tried to rob him.