After serving five years in an American prison for drug dealing, Bruno (Patrick Dewaere) returns to France clean and sober to begin a new life. His angry father, Rene (Brigitte Fossey), blames his son's shame for his wife's death, and Bruno soon strikes out on his own. Switching from construction to bookstore work, Bruno begins a relationship with Catherine (Jacques Dufilho), another fragile recovering addict, and the pair struggle to maintain their sobriety.