| Director | John Patrick Shanley |
|---|---|
| Genre | romance film |
| Runtime | 102 min |
| Country | Ireland, United Kingdom, United States |
| Budget | $5.5 million |
| Box office | $1.3 million |
In County Mayo, Ireland, two introverted misfits in their late 30s have lived in adjacent farms their whole lives. Rosemary Muldoon is in love with Anthony Reilly, but he seems to be indifferent.
In a flashback to their childhood, Anthony smells a flower and gets pollen on his nose. A girl laughs at him, so Rosemary pushes her in anger. Anthony, in turn, pushes Rosemary down. Seeing that she is upset, Rosemary's father plays the score to the ballet Swan Lake and tells her she is the white swan.
In the present, Anthony's father Tony claims his son is not sane. Anthony hears a voice in the fields that tells him "Go", though he does not reveal to where. Tony plans to disinherit Anthony, as he fears his misanthropic son will not marry and have children, leading to the end of the Reilly legacy.
Tony considers selling the farm to his nephew Adam, who is a New York City banker. Determined to inherit the farm, Anthony plans to propose to Rosemary with his late mother's ring, however he loses it outdoors. In the next days and weeks, he uses a metal detector to search for the ring in his free time.
At Tony's 75th birthday party, Adam arrives and flirts with Rosemary. She likes that Adam is direct and extroverted. He asks her to visit him in New York.
Rosemary's mother falls ill and dies. Tony decides to not sell to Adam, as it would ruin any chance of Anthony and Rosemary getting together. Not long after, Tony himself is on his death bed. He apologizes to Anthony for almost selling the farm, and they reconcile. Tony dies later that night.
Rosemary and Anthony now live alone. She tries to get closer to him, but he pushes her away and suggests she leave Ireland altogether. Rosemary flies to New York to visit Adam. They attend a performance of Swan Lake and have dinner, he also kisses her. Adam suggests Rosemary's longing for Anthony is making her miserable. She resists giving up hope.
After returning home, Rosemary finds Anthony on her property with his metal detector. She invites him to her house, where they fight about his difficulty accepting love. Anthony confesses a secret that ruined past relationships: he believes he is a honeybee. Rosemary reveals that she found Anthony's ring, and he finally proposes. He tells her the voice in the fields has been instructing him to go to her all along.
In the local pub, the two sing "Wild Mountain Thyme", and everyone (including their deceased parents) sings along.