The humble house sits in a small yard but has views of the ocean, views to die for. More importantly, it is a huse that represents the American dream: no more displaced Iranian Colonel, Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley). Together with his family, he was forced to flee the life he once knew. Now he purs the remainder of his life savings into the purchase of the house that he believes will, at last, bring back their prosperity. However, the house is sold in error, a bureaucratic bungle has left the original owner, recovering addict, Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly), unjustly evicted and without power to stop the sale. So the conflict for ownership begins. And with neither party able to let go of their great, desperate dream, they are inescapably propelled towards a stunning climax.