After the Civil War ends, Confederate soldiers Frank (Gabriel Macht) and Jesse James (Colin Farrell) return home with the three Younger brothers to learn that railroad baron Thaddeus Rains (Harris Yulin) is trying to drive Missouri citizens out of their homes. When both families resist, the James boys' mother (Kathy Bates) is murdered. Furious, the two groups of brothers team up for a series of robberies designed to hurt the railroad. Detective Allan Pinkerton (Timothy Dalton) pursues them.
