Ruth Slater(Sandra Bullock)- Si Ruth Slater ay isang convict na nasentensiyahan ng 20 taon sa

bilangguan pagkatapos makapatay ng isang sheriff sa Washington. Siya ay pinalaya sa bilangguan at

nahirapan na ibalik ang kanyang dati at normal na buhay pagkatapos nito.

John Ingram (Vincent D’Onofrio)- Si John Ingram ay isang corporate lawyer na nagpasyang tulungan si
Ruth sa kanyang family law case pro bono. Siya ay kasal sa kanyang asawang si Liz at may dalawang anak
na lalaki. Lumipat ang pamilya at nakatira na ngayon sa tahanan ni Ruth noong bata pa siya na iniwan
niya pagkatapos makulong.

Liz Ingram (Viola Davis)- Si Liz Ingram ay asawa ni John. Habang ang kanyang asawa ay mas handang
bigyan ng pagkakataon si Ruth, si Liz ay naghihinala sa kanya at hindi nagtitiwala sa kanyang intensyon.

Blake (Jon Bernthal)- Si Blake ay katrabaho ni Ruth sa fish factory. Ang dalawa ay naging malapit sa isa’t
isa. Nang ipinagtapat ni Ruth na isa siyang convict ay hindi niya nagustuhan ang reaksyon ni Blake kaya
nilayuan niya ito.

Keith Whelan (Thomas Guiry)- Si Keith Whelan ay anak ng sheriff na pinatay ni Ruth at hindi siya
nasisiyahan sa katotohanang nakalabas na si Ruth sa bilangguan, sa paniniwalang dapat niyang
pagbayaran ang ginawa niya sa kanyang ama.

Steve Whelan (Will Pullen)- Si Steve Whelan ay ang nakababatang kapatid ni Keith na sa una ay nag-
aalangan sa paghihiganti kay Ruth dahil sa kanyang sanggol na anak na babae.

Vincent Cross (Rob Morgan)- Si Vincent Cross ay ang parole officer ni Ruth Slater na tinitiyak na siya ay
may trabaho at hindi nagdudusa sa nakaraan.

Michael Malcolm (Richard Thomas)- Si Michael Malcolm ang adoptive father ni Katherine na nag-
aalangan na payagan si Ruth na makipag-ugnayan sa kanyang anak.

Rachel Malcolm (Linda Emond)- Si Rachel Malcolm ay ang adoptive mother ni Katherine at ang asawa ni
Michael, kung saan pinagtatalunan nila kung dapat ba nilang sabihin sa kanilang anak ang katotohanan
ng kanyang nakaraan.

Katherine “Katie” Malcolm (Aisling Franciosi)- Si Katherine ay nakababatang kapatid na babae ni Ruth
na kinuha mula kay Ruth matapos siyang arestuhin at inampon ng pamilya Malcolm.

Nora Fingscheidt

Ruth Slater is released from prison after serving twenty years for murdering a sheriff who came to evict
her and her five-year-old sister Katie, whom Ruth was raising in their childhood home after the death of
their father, their mother having died during childbirth. Upon her release, Ruth is introduced to her
parole officer Vince Cross, and obtains two simultaneous jobs, all while searching for her estranged
younger sister. Katie, now living with her adoptive family, barely remembers Ruth, but experiences
memories of trauma. These memories cause Katie to be involved in a car accident, and she is forced to
return to her adoptive parents' home while she recovers.
Meanwhile, Keith, the eldest son of the sheriff Ruth killed, has found out about Ruth's release and
begins stalking her, learning where she lives and where she works. He is determined to plot revenge but
is unable to get his younger brother Steve on board, as he has a family of his own, and constantly tells
Keith to "leave it alone".

One day, Ruth returns to her former home and is astonished to see it fully renovated. She meets the
new occupants, John and Liz Ingram. Ruth learns that John is a corporate lawyer, and she tells him about
her search for Katie, and John decides to help her.

John discovers the location of Katie and her family. He reaches out to the parents, Michael and Rachel
Malcolm, who reluctantly agree to meet with Ruth anonymously. During the meeting, Ruth finds out
that Michael and Rachel have deliberately not told Katie about her and have withheld all of the letters
that she wrote to Katie during her years in prison.

Emily, the younger adopted sister of Katie, overhears her parents talking about Ruth and discovers the
letters. As she reads them, Emily is both touched and moved by Ruth's words and is reduced to tears.
Emily takes it upon herself to contact Ruth and arrange a meeting to help answer the questions she read
in the letters and finally give Ruth the peace she desperately seeks. At the end of their meeting, Emily
informs Ruth that Katie will have a rehearsal at a local auditorium later that day. As Emily returns home,
Steve stalks her, discovering where she lives.

Ruth returns to the Ingrams' home. She wants to talk to John as she now has an opportunity to meet
Katie at the rehearsal and wants his professional opinion, however he is not home. Ruth is approached
by a furious Liz who tells her she doesn't see in her what her husband sees and tells Ruth to leave.
Through flashbacks, it is revealed that it was the five-year-old Katie who had actually fired the shot that
had killed the sheriff, but Ruth took the blame and went to prison to protect her. Learning the truth, Liz
feels sympathetic towards Ruth and drives her to the recital.

After learning about Katie, Steve becomes more insistent on the idea of revenge; however, he catches
his brother Keith in bed with his wife and beats him before storming out of the house. Motivated by his
anger, he kidnaps Emily, mistaking her for Katie. As Ruth arrives at the recital, she receives a phone call
from Steve who demands that Ruth come to where they are. Liz drives her to the location and,
becoming aware of the situation, calls the authorities as Ruth goes inside. Steve declares his intent to kill
the girl, but when Ruth expresses sorrow and remorse for all that has happened, he cannot go through
with it. Ruth helps Emily out of the room, then gives herself up to the police and Steve is arrested. Vince
arrives at the scene and Ruth is released shortly after. As Ruth begins to walk away with Vince, she
notices that Emily's parents and Katie have come to pick up Emily, and Ruth and Katie finally meet and
hug each other.