Sam is a Texan cotton picker who aspires to run his own farm and create a better life for his family. Aided by his beautiful wife, Nona, Tucker begins to work a neglected plot of land, but numerous difficulties arise, including bad weather and conflicts with jealous neighbors.

Only an outsider like the great Jean Renoir, who worked in America during WWII, could so beautifully reveal American life. Renoir received his only Oscar® nomination for this neglected masterpiece, which applies his warmth, empathy, and generosity to a distinctly American story.