In 1955, Jeanne Holman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and her sons Tom and Gunny (Joseph Mazzello and Seth Mumy) are struggling to survive on their own, after Jeanne's husband is pronounced missing in the Korean War. When Jeanne takes in an injured vagrant named Jack (Patrick Swayze) who she... [More]

In 1955, Jeanne Holman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and her sons Tom and Gunny (Joseph Mazzello and Seth Mumy) are struggling to survive on their own, after Jeanne's husband is pronounced missing in the Korean War. When Jeanne takes in an injured vagrant named Jack (Patrick Swayze) who she has accidentally hit with her car, everyone in their convention-bound 1950s suburb questions her sanity. Jeanne's risk pays off, however, for the secretive and mysterious Jack possesses special, magical powers, and he not only uses his gifts and wisdom for the town's benefit, but also to help Jeanne's sons: Gunny is dying of cancer, and Tommy longs for a father-figure. The Holman's world is changed forever by the magical love and kindness of the drifter and his dog, who leave their family as mysteriously as they entered it. [Less]