Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore) is a grieving mother struggling to cope with the loss of her 8-year-old son. She is stunned when her psychiatrist (Gary Sinise) reveals that she has created eight years of memories about a son she never had. But when she meets a man (Dominic West) who has had a similar experience, Telly embarks on a search to prove her son's existence and her sanity.