In 1962 Portland, Oregon, Ray Weiler is a widowed, charismatic con artist who raises his two daughters, Sonya and Greta. His wife, Valery, died years earlier after a long battle with cancer. Ray drifts from one grandiose, half‑baked business scheme to the next, never facing up to financial responsibilities, and the family has spent most of the girls' childhood in a cramped basement apartment. After Valery's death, Ray sinks into a deep depression and the family moves to a transient hotel in downtown Portland.
With Ray's persistent charm, Sonya enrolls for her senior year at the prestigious Edgemont Academy, following in her mother's footsteps. She befriends Margaret, and is taken under the wing of Mr. Webster, an English teacher who recognizes Sonya's talent as a writer. When their landlord pressures the family over unpaid rent, Ray returns with a large cash sum earned through a money-laundering scheme involving a local mining company. He pays off debts and treats his daughters to ice cream, celebrating his latest "success" even as the situation remains precarious.
Mr. Webster pushes Sonya to take college entrance exams; after applying, Sonya is accepted at the University of California, Berkeley. Shortly after, Eddie and Jarvis confront Ray at home, claiming he stole money from them. A charge from Bud Rucklehaus and others follows, accusing him of a fraudulent investment. Ray is charged with grand larceny and fraud. With [Mr. Webster] having helped by posting bail, Ray plans to flee to Reno with his allies; Sonya resents the idea and a heated exchange follows, after which she and Greta leave the car and Ray continues on toward Reno.
The next morning, police arrive with a warrant for Ray; Greta is taken by child services, and Sonya—now eighteen—no longer has guardianship. Ray reaches Reno with Eddie, but remorsefully returns to Portland to plead with the judge overseeing his case to protect his daughters from testifying [Judge Klein]. A day later, Sonya attends her high school graduation from Edgemont Academy. After the ceremony, she apologizes to Mr. Webster for her father's actions and says she plans to work a summer job to repay him. Moments later, Ray and Greta arrive in a police car to mark Sonya's achievement as the family begins to move forward from the turmoil. In a closing voiceover, Sonya recounts how she raised Greta while her father served his prison sentence; after his release, he remained fixated on new metals, ore, and space technology opportunities. Years later, Ray ventures into the mountains and dies from the cold.
