Doting mother Dee Dee Blanchard and her sickly but sweet daughter Gypsy settle in a new neighbourhood where the locals prove to be nosy.

Dee Dee feels like mother of the year when Gypsy wins the Child of the Year award, but a dental emergency threatens to expose the truth.

Dee Dee makes Gypsy dress up for a local costume convention; Gypsy starts to have doubts about her real age.

Dee Dee must resort to new methods to control her growing daughter. However, Dee Dee's resistance is limited by her health problems.

Gypsy and Nick plan to meet in person and win approval from Dee Dee. However, they are forced to make a difficult decision when their plan fails.

Gypsy and Nick go on the run together; flashbacks to a younger Dee Dee reveal how she suffered at the hands of her mother.