The film stars Jill Clayburgh (famous for An Unmarried Woman ) as Caterina Silveri, an American opera singer living in Italy. Following the sudden death of her husband (a famous tenor), Caterina spirals into heroin addiction and codependency. Her 15-year-old son, Joe (played by Matthew Barry), is neglected, confused, and sent to a boarding school where he also falls into drug abuse. The core controversy of the film arrives when Joe confronts his mother during a psychotic break. In a desperate, surreal attempt to stop his drug use and "reconnect," Caterina seduces her son. The film ends ambiguously, with Joe performing on an opera stage, having been "saved" through this transgressive act.