An actress who has been estranged from her family, returns to her hometown to see her daughter in a school play.

In 1910, just as her career hits its lowest point, aging actress Naomi Murdoch receives a letter from her daughter Lily. Ten years earlier, Naomi had created a scandal by leaving her teacher husband Henry and their children, Joyce, Lily and Ted, because she felt stifled by their small-town community and Henry's strict social mores. Even though it means continuing to lie to the family that she is a famous Shakespearian actress, Naomi decides to return to Riverside, Wyoming, and uses her entire savings to undergo a makeover. At the same time that Naomi's train pulls up at the town station, Joyce's fiancé, Russ Underwood, is scandalizing her with a public kiss on the cheek, Lily is wishing out loud that her mother will arrive in time to see her star in the school play and Henry is being named the new superintendent of schools. Naomi shows up during supper that evening, shocking everyone into silence, until Lily and housekeeper Lena Engstrom embrace her happily. Henry and Joyce, however, remain apprehensive about Naomi's visit, especially when they realize that gossip about her return has spread throughout the town. Naomi is surprised to find herself thrilled at how little the house has changed in her years away, but is stung when Joyce informs her that she does not consider Naomi family and wants her to leave. Soon after, Henry quarrels with Naomi over the circumstances of her leaving, and she promises him haughtily that she will not embarrass him with her crassness as she did before. Together, they attend the school play, which is packed with neighbors eager to get a glance at Naomi. As soon as the curtain rises, however, she can think only of Lily, who has true star quality. Although Dutch Heinemann, the man whose seduction ten years earlier contributed to her need to flee Riverside, watches her, she ignores him. Later that night, at Lily's party, Joyce grows jealous as the radiant Naomi dances with Russ, but is urged by Lena to enjoy life as much as her mother. When Naomi gives in to the guests' request to recite poetry, teacher Sara Harper, who loves Henry, realizes with a glance that he is still enamored of his ex-wife. Lily tinkers with the clock so that by the time Naomi finishes reading, she has missed the last train and must stay the night. After the guests leave, Henry grabs Naomi and demands to know why she left him, but she runs upstairs. The next morning, Russ urges Naomi and Joyce to accompany him horseback riding, and when Joyce reproaches her mother for flirting with him, Naomi goads her into fighting back for his love. Joyce does so when they stop at the river where Naomi used to have liaisons with Dutch, insisting her mother stay behind. Dutch immediately appears and roughly attempts to seduce Naomi, who pushes him away and declares that he will not upset her life again. At home, Sara is waiting to ask Naomi to perform at the graduation ceremony that night, revealing that she still wants to make Henry happy by helping Naomi to become a more respectable community member. As soon as Sara leaves, Joyce confirms that Henry still loves Naomi, and asks her mother to leave immediately to save his reputation. That night, Naomi tells Henry she must go, but he asks her to stay. When Lily then announces that she is leaving for New York with Naomi to begin a career on the stage, Henry states wryly that he cannot keep people at home against their wishes. Later, however, he asks Naomi if it is too late, and by the next morning, they announce to the children that Naomi is staying. Lily and Joyce are both bitterly disappointed, for their own reasons, and Naomi is also disturbed when she hears Dutch's familiar gunshot signal to her. She rushes to him to inform him that there is no chance between them, and is followed by Ted, who wants to go fishing with her. At the river, Dutch will not take no for an answer even after Naomi whips him, and as they tussle, the gun goes off and shoots him in the chest. Ted arrives in time to see Dutch fall, and although he helps her race Dutch to the doctor, he believes, as does the rest of the town, that she has resumed her affair. Even the doctor advises Naomi that Dutch will survive but her reputation will not, and she prepares to leave town to spare Henry more scandal. When Lily still asks to join her, Naomi discourages her by sharply stating that she is a tawdry failure, and both Lily and Joyce leave the house in tears. Naomi stops in Ted's room to try to explain that even if it appears that she has done something wrong, she has always loved him, and the boy breaks down and embraces her. Meanwhile, Henry has learned about the shooting and been warned that his career depends on his forcing Naomi to leave. He stalks into the doctor's office to confront Dutch, who spits in reply that if Naomi loves Henry, she can have him. Seeing the whip mark on Dutch's cheek, Henry suddenly realizes that Naomi has spurned Dutch, and rushes back to the house in time to prevent her from leaving. With his arms around her, he begs her to stay, asserting that with faith and trust they can face the town together. He hands her the key to the house, and together they enter to wait for the children.