In one of her earliest roles, Nicole Kidman plays Carol Trig, a high school track star, who befriends Angie, a troubled dancer who changed Carol's life dramatically.

The year is 1815, and North Carolina widower and farmer August King sets off on his yearly trip to sell his produce and buy the stock and goods he will need to survive the winter. On his journey, he comes upon a young, female, run-away slave. Now King must decide if he will break the law and help her to freedom, or if he should leave her to be hunted down and, ultimately, returned to her slave owner.