Louise (Carrie Snodgress), a spinster who was once abandoned at the altar, lives a lonely life with her abusive father, Wendell (Ray Milland), who's wheelchair-bound because of a fire she caused. After she's sacked from her job as a librarian, Louise must then spend all of her time waiting on Wendell. Eventually, she sinks deeper and deeper into a deranged imaginary life that includes extravagant vacations and the death of her father. The latter fantasy becomes especially appealing to her.