Glace Bay, Nova Scotia Canada, 1901. Willie MacLean is a 10-year-old boy with a love for horses and liking to school to cape the difficult times his family has. Willie's stern, but benevolent father is a coal miner in a local mine along with his older brother John. But when Willie's father is injured and John is killed in an accident at the mine, Willie is forced to step into his brother's shoes to support his older sister Nelle, and two younger sisters until their father recovers. Willie soon finds work at the mine lonely (aka: the pit) and unfriendly in which he forms a bond with a pit pony horse in order to make it though each day.

Private investigator Steve is being racketeered by beat cop Melvin Jarvis as divorce client. Silver spoon would be-actor Mark Woodruff is arrested for the shooting of his rich father Nathan. Only one acting class peer, Italian immigrant Isabella, truly believes in his innocence and manages without funds to hire Steve, with widow Marsha as prime suspect. However they soon find an art theft gang is involved, including Mark's youth friends, gallery keeper Brandon and his mate Jamie, who gets shot, and evil brain Alicia.

Carly, a 17-year-old girl from a broken home, dreams of a different life; escaping reality and her deadbeat mom through drugs and unrealistic fantasies of making as a rock star. She spends most of her time at her best friend Laura’s house, whose mom prioritizes her romantic pursuits over her children’s well-being. When Laura’s young, handsome father Wayne re-enters her life, Carly’s bears witness to what a ‘good man’ is for the first time. Wayne is recently sober, keeps a nice home and seems to care for his daughter. Developing her newly discovered sexuality, Carly sets her sights on Wayne, eventually seducing him, sending their fragile lives into a permanent spiral.