A shy and lonely woman who often indulges in self-harm is released from a mental hospital and returns to her Florida home town, where she takes a job as a lawyer's secretary. She soon embarks on a sadomasochistic relationship with her domineering boss that has a dramatic effect on both their lives. Steven Shainberg's comedy drama starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader, Lesley Ann Warren and Stephen McHattie