Tom Wingfield, a worker in a shoe warehouse who seeks escape at the movies, struggles to leave his mundane life behind but is hindered by his devotion to his disabled sister, Laura—who finds her escape in a collection of tiny glass animals. Their mother, Amanda, a relic of old Southern gentility, tries desperately to find a suitor for Laura, and finally convinces Tom to invite a friend over for dinner. When the evening does not go as planned, the glass—and the family—is left shattered.