Since the death of his ex-girlfriend, Butter has been trapped in a cycle of alcohol and drug abuse. After dropping out of college, he goes to live with his sister in the small, deeply religious town of Searcy, Arkansas, where there's no alcohol allowed and it's illegal to curse in public. Once there, he gets a new job, meets some new friends and potential lovers, but as he tries to rebuild his life, he's haunted by the memories of his ex-girlfriend, whose ultimate self-destruction he feels responsible for.