At university in Dublin in 1957, awkward Benny (Minnie Driver) is introduced to handsome Jack (Chris O'Donnell), the son of a doctor who is unsure about following the family business. While Benny and Jack fall in love, Benny's old friend Nan (Saffron Burrows) is less fortunate. Nan wants to raise herself from her lower-class roots with a marriage, but her chosen man impregnates and abandons her. All three must grapple with conflicts between their physical desires and religious upbringings.