WINTER SOLSTICE is a tale of small steps taken in the aftermath of family loss. Landscape gardener Jim Winters (Anthony LaPaglia) is a quiet craftsman, a soft-spoken man who prefers an orderly life. His family, however, is anything but orderly. Older son Gabe (Aaron Stanford) is planning his escape to Florida, leaving behind any shot at a stable future with his girlfriend. Younger son Pete (Mark Webber) has retreated into a private world of anger, drift and disappointment. Jim struggles watching his sons make choices he views as disastrous compromises. It is only when he meets his new neighbor, Molly (Allison Janney), that Jim finds a way to deal with his own life and his family's future.