Harry Green is a brooding young artist, who collects boxes of all sizes and shapes and draws them. His possessive and over-protective mother Beth, a widow of twenty years, dominates him. Harry suffers from recurring nightmares, a blocked-out memory from his childhood, where he saw his drunken father run over by a train on the tracks facing their home. Beth spends her time with her cat Marquise, reminiscing about her once glorious past and dealing herself playing cards to predict her future. When Maria Dupont , a pretty young divorcee with a toddler Kiki moves into the house next door, their lives change profoundly. Beth loathes the young woman and can't bear the growing influence she has on Harry. Although Beth thinks of her son as an artist, Maria discovers another side of Harry and when Mike, Maria's stalking ex, finally turns up, Harry comes to her rescue and saves her from rape and a beating. Beth starts losing her mind as Harry and Maria get closer. Beth will do whatever it takes