凯瑞安（安妮特·贝宁 Annette Bening 饰）年仅十四岁就怀孕生子，之后，年少无知的她放弃了孩子的抚养权，一晃眼三十多年过去，当初的那个小小婴孩在凯瑞安的心中分量却越来越重，她无时不刻不思念着她。 　　伊莉莎白（娜奥米·沃茨 Naomi Watts 饰）漂亮性感，辗转在不同的男人之间，如鱼得水。向往自由的她从来没有想过会让孩子牵制住自己前进的脚步，因此早早就做了节育手术，然而，一场意外的到来让她陷入了两难的境地之中无法做出选择。露西（凯丽·华盛顿 Kerry Washington 饰）和丈夫结婚多年但一直都没有孩子，爱子心切的露西决定领养，但此事谈何容易。终于，露西等来了一个千载难逢的好机会，那么这一次，她能够如愿吗？一个孩子将三个身份和个性都截然不同的女人联系到了一起，在波折和悲伤之中，每个人发现了她们生命中最珍贵的所在。Almost forty years ago, a young girl of fourteen has sex, gets pregnant, and gives her baby up for adoption. Fast-forwarding to the present day, we meet three very different women, each of whom struggles to maintain control of their lives. There's Elizabeth, a smart and successful lawyer who uses her body to her advantage. Any time she feels that she doesn't have the upper hand, and cannot control the situation, she uses her sex appeal - whether that be starting a romance with her boss when she suspects he is trying to start one himself, or finding some way to control her overly friendly neighbor and husband. Karen, meanwhile, is a bitter health care professional who obviously has a lot of heart but never shows it. She gave up a daughter at the age of fourteen (wonderfully shown rather than told, she is the young girl and mother of Elizabeth), and has never gotten over it - her bitterness inspiring her to lash out at everyone around her - even the gentle man at work who is undeniably drawn to her. Finally, Lucy is a woman who has failed to conceive with her husband, so she turns to adoption to make the family she desires.