米高任特种部队时，曾参与拯救波斯尼恐怖分子挟持的人质，可惜任务失败人质被杀，米高侥幸逃脱。退役后米高任职私人保镖，其老板在机场为枪手伏击身亡，其妻在机场逃过大难后，回到家中再次受击，米高因而被革职，米高追查下，发现凶手竟是两年前恐怖分子首领，其时米高的行动受阻，而一起查案的探员的女儿亦被绑架，令案情更加复杂......

　　A ruthless corporate raider on the verge of making partner at his NYC private equity firm, is forced to return to his small town roots where he suddenly inherits his father's nearly bankrupt pencil factory, which is the heart and soul of the depressed community. With the foreclosure deadline looming, he must decide to either join the community's fight to save the factory, or let it close and relocate to China.

　　The son of an African-American Judge is killed by police officers on the day he was set to begin law enforcement academy. When the courts clear the officers of wrongdoing, the Judge must decide whether the courts are the only arbitrators of justice.

故事发生在位于密西西比的劳改农场之中，杀人犯鲍尔斯（基思·卡拉丹 Keith Carradine 饰）伙同他在狱中结识的一干亡命之徒实施越狱，幸运之神眷顾了他们，成功越狱后的鲍尔斯一行人来到了亲戚家，打算躲躲风头。在那里，鲍尔斯遇见了名为剀切（谢莉·杜瓦尔 Shelley Duvall 饰）的女子，剀切的温柔善良令鲍尔斯一见钟情，可是，如今沦为逃犯的鲍尔斯真的能够如他所愿抱得美人归吗？ 　　越狱之后，鲍尔斯和他的兄弟们不甘寂寞，抢了几次小劫，“收成”尚且说得过去，这令几个大男人放松了警惕。终于，在又一次抢劫之中，劫匪们遭遇了“滑铁卢”，躲避着穷追不舍的警察，鲍尔斯来到了剀切处，希望她能够提供庇护。

影片讲述了一群澳大利亚移民在异国他乡发现自己，共同建立新生活的故事。