Jack Duluth, together with Ronald Sheldon, is the owner of a wealthy publishing house and considers his co-owner to be his best friend. That's why he is greatly upset that his son Bill has fallen in love with Ronald's young new wife Jean. Jean and her poor, eccentric family are completely financially dependent on Sheldon. Especially her father, an unrecognized writer who expects the publisher to publish his controversial writings. However, the young people's mutual romantic attraction soon becomes apparent, and Sheldon explodes. He intends to sever his friendly ties not only with Duluth and his son, but also to expel his wife and her family from his home. The next day, however, the servant finds him shot dead. Bill is arrested, having taken the murder weapon.

The construction of a gigantic facility such as the Dukovany nuclear power plant requires only the most capable experts. Such is the engineer Hlaváč, who has been involved in the project from the very beginning as a construction manager. He has to deal with many problems, especially the lack of manpower. He is unfairly demoted to a lower position due to the intrigues of his subordinates and the alibi of the management, but time proves him right and by the time the plant is inaugurated, he is once again the main manager. But the demanding job takes its toll, his heart cannot withstand the frantic pace of work...

The family is connected with Prague's "Kolbenka", the ČKD locomotive factory. Grandfather Antonín, already retired, son Rudolf, a master in the locomotive assembly section and grandson Antonín, a promising football player. The film also tells the story of Rudolf's daughter Vera - each generation has its own ideas about life and cannot identify with the others. The film is linked by retrospective sequences from the lives of Antonín the Elder and Rudolf, especially from the war years. It is a realistic take on working-class life, unencumbered by ideology (despite the opening dedication), featuring well-known and time-tested actors in mainly male roles.