Love Field

On November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Lurene Hallett, a housewife, feels a kinship with Jacqueline Kennedy after her own loss. Her obsession with Jackie mirrors her grief over a child she has lost and deepens as the day unfolds. This fixation foreshadows a personal journey born from both private sorrow and national tragedy.

Knowing the President and First Lady will arrive in Dallas, she goes to Dallas Love Field hoping for a glimpse. She feels the crowd's energy as the plane lands and the moment seems to connect her to history. Her resolve to witness the funeral becomes a personal mission tied to her heartbreak.

She almost shakes Jackie’s hand as the crowd surges and security moves in. News floods in that Kennedy has been assassinated, crashing the moment into collective grief. The shock sharpens her determination to attend Kennedy's funeral and participate in the national mourning.

She leaves Ray a note declaring she will stay at the honeymoon motel in Washington, D.C., and travel by bus to the funeral. She rejects his veto, choosing independence at a moment of national crisis. This decision marks the start of a long, uncertain road trip across the country.

On the bus toward Washington, Lurene befriends Jonell, the young Black daughter of Paul Cater. They form a bond against the backdrop of a perilous journey. Lurene's empathy for Jonell broadens the meaning of her own grief as the road wears on.

After the bus accident, Lurene tends to Jonell in the restroom and notices old wounds on her body. She asks Jonell if Paul is her father, and Jonell replies that he isn’t at first. Moments later, Paul explains the truth and Lurene calls the FBI to report a kidnapping, triggering a confrontation with the real stakes of the journey.

Paul explains that Jonell's wounds came from an orphanage where she was abused and that he rescued her. He reveals that he is Jonell's father and shows photos of himself, Jonell's mother, and Jonell as a baby. The revelation reframes the trip as a custody fight rather than a simple rescue.

Paul steals a car from a repair shop to keep their escape going, and Lurene ends up riding along with Jonell and Paul. The FBI, convinced Lurene has been kidnapped, intensifies its pursuit. They continue a perilous journey across America with law enforcement in pursuit.

Their car breaks down near Tazewell, Virginia, where locals spot a white woman traveling with a Black man and beat Paul severely. Lurene recalls Hazel Enright’s family living nearby and seeks help there. The Enrights tend to Paul’s wounds and offer shelter, foreshadowing the era’s social tensions.

Mrs. Enright disapproves of Lurene’s interracial relationship and offers to help by lending them their car. The social friction is palpable, but the Enrights’ hospitality allows the journey to continue. Paul urges Lurene to stay with them, deepening the bond among the trio.

Back in Washington on the day of Kennedy's funeral, Ray waits for Lurene at the motel. The argument turns violent as Ray confronts her about her affair, and Paul intervenes, disguising as the motel manager while a gun is drawn. Paul wrestles the gun away; they escape back to the car with Jonell, but the police close in and Paul is sentenced to a year for car theft.

In 1964, Lurene visits Jonell in a foster group home and explains that her father is coming back for her. Paul arrives to pick up Jonell, and Lurene confirms that she and Ray are divorced. They share a hug and declare they have no regrets about their decisions, choosing to pursue a life together with Jonell.

After a moment of farewell, Lurene turns the car around and rushes back into the group home to join Paul and Jonell. The trio commits to a future together, a fragile but hopeful family forged on the road and in their hearts.