The wife and son of an unemployed, foul-tempered man suffer under ever-worsening domestic violence. One day while his father is taking a nap, the young son decides to take matters into his own hands. In a panic, the wife and son both believe the man is dead and dump him on a roadside. The man survives, however, and returns home weeks later confined to a wheelchair probably for the rest of his life. How will each member in the family cope with this new situation?

Martin, conductor of a symphonic orchestra, meet Barbara, violine player and they start a relationship. Five years later Martin starts to develop loss of memory and becomes more and more confused. Finally he is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and Barbara tries to help as much as possible although Martin is often angry and violent towards her.