After a car crash leaves her paralyzed and widowed, Edna McCauley (Ellen Burstyn) returns to her small hometown in Kansas to recuperate. During recovery, she notices a strange, almost mystical side effect of her near-death experience. Despite her own religious disbelief, Edna starts to exhibit miraculous abilities and goes on to become a healer. Edna captivates her town, peacefully healing the sick and dying with a touch of her hands in a deeply moving and spiritual journey. When she heals Cal (Sam Shepard), a local farmer, after a night of fighting, he begins to court her, and the two begin a passionate romance. As their relationship blossoms, Edna begins to heal her own physical and psychological wounds, coming to peace with the death of her husband (Jeffrey DeMunn) and working to understand her new fate. However, Cal believes that Edna's mystical abilities are a sign of God's will, and he refuses to accept Edna's belief that her powers simply come from deep love and understanding. Edna will not compromise her own beliefs in a spiritual and ideological battle with Cal that ends in a violent and disturbing climax. Burstyn delivers a tour-de-force, Oscar-nominated performance as a modern-day miracle in this unforgettable story of love and devotion. Director Daniel Petrie's film features an outstanding supporting cast, including Richard Farnsworth, Eva Le Gallienne, and Richard Hamilton.