Craig (Cromwell) and his beloved wife, Irene (Bujold), share an idyllic life in rural New Brunswick. But when Irene’s health begins to fail, Craig is forced into conflict with a pesky government inspector who refuses to let him build a new home that will be more suitable for her. Stubborn and used to doing things for himself, Craig decides to put his carpentry skills to use in spite of the inspector’s efforts to shut him down. As a showdown becomes imminent, Craig also struggles to cope with the unmistakable deterioration of his beloved wife’s memory and her diminishing ability to manage on her own.