A reclusive woman's unpublished story about a curse, told to a grieving girl, turns out to be something other than a fairy tale.
On Ironbound Island, native Fiona McKay (Alberta Watson) arrives from Europe with her teenage daughter Clair (Julia Brendler), hoping that the peace of the island will help the girl get over the death of her boyfriend. The girl finds comfort in the company of a visiting American girl (Kirsten Dunst) and more so in the stories of Celia (Lynn Redgrave), a crazy old local who weaves enchanting tales which cleverly combine her own experiences on the island with mystifying legends.
