After 12 years in prison convicted paedophile Walter (Kevin Bacon) is released into the world. His natural talent with woodcraft leads him to get a job at a lumberyard. His lodgings however are located opposite an elementary school. Walter soon discovers that the slate has not been wiped clean as his family shun him and the police still keep tabs on him. His only solace is his colleague Vickie and their tentative romance. But how long can he keep his past life from being exposed?