Charismatic rancher Phil Burbank inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother brings home a new wife and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.

Elizabeth Jane Campion (b. 1954) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. Campion is one of the few women nominated for an Oscar for Best director. In addition, she is the first female filmmaker to receive the Palme d'Or, which she received for the film Piano (1993), and which also won an Oscar for Best screenplay in 1993.