Homecoming (1996) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Liza Tillerman abandoned her four children at a mall parking lot in Pewauket, Connecticut. While the movie doesn't explain her full mental state at that moment, later information reveals she was struggling with severe mental illness. A letter later arrives explaining she suffered a complete mental breakdown and was admitted to a hospital with catatonia, suggesting her judgment was severely impaired when she left her children.

• liza tillerman
• abandonment
• mental illness
• mother

Dicey refused because Eunice planned to separate the siblings. She intended to keep Dicey and Maybeth while sending James and Sammy to live with different families. Dicey was determined to keep all four children together and believed the only way to do that was to find their grandmother Abigail, even though they had never met her.

• dicey
• eunice
• separation
• family split

Abigail Tillerman initially refused to keep the children because she was old, had limited savings, and feared repeating mistakes she made with her own children. She had not been involved in their lives and felt unprepared to raise four young children on her own. The responsibility and financial burden seemed overwhelming to her.

• abigail
• grandmother
• responsibility
• hesitation

After abandoning her children, Liza Tillerman suffered a severe mental breakdown and was admitted to a mental hospital. She was diagnosed with catatonia, and doctors were pessimistic about her recovery prospects. This news reached Abigail through a letter from Eunice, adding to the complexity of the decision about the children's future.

• liza
• mental breakdown
• catatonia
• hospital

Abigail's decision evolved over time as she spent days with the children, sharing meals and chores. She watched them work hard, saw their loyalty to each other, and felt genuine affection grow. Though she initially planned to send them back to Bridgeport on a bus, she changed her mind at the last moment, deciding the risks and challenges were worth the reward of keeping her grandchildren together as a family.

• abigail
• adoption
• family
• acceptance

When the police sold Liza's car, they sent a small payment for the children's care. Eunice Logan, their cousin who initially helped them, kept this money for herself rather than giving it to the children. This added financial betrayal contributed to Dicey's decision to leave and seek out their grandmother instead of staying with Eunice.

• eunice
• money
• police payment
• theft

Dicey traveled alone to Abigail's remote farm in Crisfield, Maryland, to assess whether it was a viable option for the whole family. She disguised her identity and offered to help with work, wanting to determine if Abigail would even consider taking them in before bringing her younger siblings to meet her. This protective choice reflected Dicey's role as the responsible older sister trying to shield her siblings from potential rejection.

• dicey
• abigail
• first meeting
• assessment

The boat represented a turning point in Abigail's relationship with the children. After their rocky first meeting, Abigail and Dicey took a small boat together to fetch the other siblings. This shared journey allowed them to bond and marked the beginning of Abigail warming to the children. It was on this boat ride that Abigail's protective instincts emerged, and she began to see the children as family rather than a burden.

• boat
• boat ride
• fetching siblings
• bonding

The children survived through Dicey's strong leadership and resourcefulness. They had only nine dollars, a change of clothes, and a map. They walked long distances in sweltering heat, purchased bus tickets when possible, and relied on Dicey's ability to make decisions and keep hope alive. Despite being only 13 years old, Dicey protected her younger siblings, James (10), Maybeth (9), and Sammy (6), throughout the entire ordeal.

• journey
• survival
• dicey
• leadership
• hardship

Aunt Cilla's death forced the children to change their plans entirely. They had been walking toward Bridgeport hoping to find their known relative and potential guardian. When they arrived and learned Aunt Cilla had died the previous spring, they had to pivot to finding their unknown grandmother Abigail in Maryland. This loss also led them to Eunice, who became their temporary contact but ultimately betrayed their trust.

• aunt cilla
• death
• bridgeport
• relocation

When Abigail and Dicey used the boat to fetch the siblings from shore, Sammy was the only one present because James and Maybeth had already arranged to meet Abigail separately at a different time. The children had split up briefly to cover more ground, and only Sammy had remained at the designated pickup location, causing a moment of concern for Dicey.

• sammy
• james
• maybeth
• boat
• pickup