Renowned author Jake Davis (Russell Crowe) loses his wife in a car crash. He tries to raise his daughter Katie alone, but during a book signing, breaks down. He's suffering from depression and seizures and has to spend several months in a mental health hospital. Reluctantly, he leaves a kicking and screaming Katie in the care of his late wife's sister Elizabeth and her husband.
Years later, now grown, Katie (Amanda Seyfried) struggles with abandonment issues. She's a social worker who works with children, but other than to casual encounters, doesn't want to get involved with a man. When she meets Cameron (Aaron Paul), a nice guy who's a big fan of her father's work, it brings back painful memories.