After leaving his wife, lawyer Jerry Ryan (Robert Mitchum) moves from Omaha, Neb., to New York City to start a new life. While studying for the New York Bar Examination and working to finalize his divorce, Ryan meets dancer Gittel Mosca (Shirley MacLaine), and the two begin a cautious courtship. However, Ryan feels that he must come to terms with his failed marriage and overcome his lingering attachment to his ex-wife before he can redefine himself and embrace his budding romance.