This movie centers on four pairs - Frances (Dame Emma Thompson) is a recent widow who wants to get away from Scotland to Australia with her teenage son Alex (Gary Hollywood) to escape her memories, arrival of her old mother Elspeth (Phyllida Law) makes her reconsider her decision. Alex approaches his first sexual experience with neighbour girl Nita (Arlene Cockburn). Chloe (Sandra Voe) and Lily (Sheila Reid) are two old women who like to attend strangers' funerals and Tom (Sean Biggerstaff) with Sam (Douglas Murphy) are two schoolboys who skip school to play on the beach and talk.