Miles from Home

The Roberts family farm in Iowa is prosperous, running for three generations. During the Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev's tour of the Midwest in 1959, the family is unexpectedly visited on the farm. The moment underscores the farm's status before troubles begin.

Costs for running the farm climb while crop prices barely move, squeezing the Roberts family financially. A heavy rain deluge wrecks the harvest, worsening the economic strain. The farm's once-top-notch operation teeters on the edge of collapse.

Desperate to cover debts, the family sells nearly everything in a yard sale. The financial pressure leads to an imminent foreclosure by the bank. The mood on the farm grows tense as the outlook darkens.

Anger boils in Frank Jr. as the bank threatens to seize the land. He and Terry discuss a drastic option: set fire to the farm rather than let the bank take it. The plan marks a turning point toward crime.

Frank and Terry leave the farm, abandoning normal life to become thieves on the road. They move from place to place, dodging debt collectors and angry authorities. The urge to survive drives their reckless choices.

As the brothers travel, neighbors and strangers pull them in from the cold with shelter or hideouts when the law is in pursuit. Their actions spark mixed sympathy and curiosity from people they encounter. The kindness contrasts with the criminals' risky predicament.

On the road, Terry meets Sally and a connection quickly grows into love. Her presence grounds him amid the chaos of their fugitive life. The relationship adds emotional stakes to their decisions.

A stripper introduces Maxwell, a reporter who becomes eager to tell their story before the law catches up. The media attention promises exposure but also complicates their precarious freedom. The encounter tests their willingness to reveal personal truths.

Frank, buzzing with the press spotlight, participates in the ox pull at a local fair. He drives the crowd to the edge, then shoots the struggling ox to end its suffering, an act that triggers police attention. The brothers flee when the law closes in.

The next day, Frank leaves Terry asleep in the car and tries to rob a bank, an act Terry reluctantly helps thwart. They manage to escape, but their criminal path has become dangerous and hard to outrun. The incident intensifies pursuit by authorities.

The brothers find work with a fellow corn harvester, hoping to blend back into ordinary life. They are spotted, and the police close in, turning their fugitive journey into a manhunt. The fear of capture shapes every decision they make.

In a pivotal moment, Terry chooses to stay with Sally, aided by her lawyer father, signaling a shift toward a possible hopeful future. Frank, meanwhile, drives off into the distance, continuing the road-born life. The ending sets up divergent paths for the brothers.