New Rochelle, New York, 1985. On prom night, ambulance sirens glare as Toni Spresso, 17, in critical condition, is rushed off to a nearby hospital.
Two months earlier: To teach her long time crush, Sean a lesson about what he is missing, Toni plants a passionate kiss to arouse Sean - only to tell him to get lost.
Cole, 18, Toni’s current boyfriend, and John, 21, his brother, drive to New Rochelle High School to surprise Toni and announce the good news that this fall, Cole will attend University of New Mexico. Cole and John witness the kiss, and Cole leaves, humiliated.
That afternoon, Toni reports to work as a busgirl in Palazzo Italiana Restorante. It is bartender Victor Tibliano’s 30th birthday and the staff sings “Happy Birthday” and presents him with a tarantula as a gift. Toni offers to apply concealer over Victor’s eye bags. In the bathroom, Victor flirts and Toni rejects his advances.
Cole waits in the parking lot to confront Toni after her shift. He is furious and breaks up with her.
Full of self-pity, Toni visits the gravesite of her parents. At six, Toni loses her mother, Concietta, to cancer. As she rests the flowers at the headstone, Toni remembers her father, Salvatore. Toni flashes back to her childhood when Salvatore loves and cares for her. Once Concietta dies, Salvatore drinks and becomes abusive towards Toni. Salvatore resents his loss of freedom to care for his young daughter. Toni cooks and cleans, but Salvatore’s anger intensifies. After catching Toni watering down his wine, he locks her in a closet.
When Toni breaks out in chicken pox and is sent home from sleep-away camp, the infuriated inebriated Salvatore abandons Toni in a drunken rampage. Salvatore dies in a boating accident that evening, and Toni feels guilty because she could neither help him nor cure him of alcoholism. To date, she blames herself for his death.
Depressed, Toni decides to drink at work herself that evening. After closing, while providing Victor a jump-start for his car, Victor insults Toni calling her a piss-pot busgirl. She retorts calling him an adult, loser alcoholic. Victor claims he wants help. Guilt ridden, Toni vows to help him recover.
Cole leaves early for college to punish Toni for cheating. Cole asks John to keep watch over Toni. Toni believes there is no chance at reconciliation and focuses her energy on Victor.
John spies and observes that the stealth Victor sneaks drinks and masturbates to photos of Toni in his vehicle. John warns Cole about Victor, but Cole remains spiteful and will not reconcile with Toni nor reveal that she is in danger.
Toni attends AA meetings with Victor, and they become closer. Victor explains he would like Toni to be his girlfriend. Toni does not feel ready. Victor gives her a ring as a token of affection.
Toni spends time with her high school friend Jody, who sees Victor as strange and dangerous. Toni defends Victor explaining he is getting better. Meanwhile, Victor snoops through Toni’s car and follows her when she is not with him. Toni, unaware, does not feel suspicion or detect danger.
Victor tries to stop drinking. He attends meetings and gets a sponsor, but he cannot control himself. Jordan, a cook, catches Victor drinking in a storage room, and Victor threatens to kill him if he tells anyone.
After enjoying a Met’s game, Victor explains to Toni that he lost his change at pro-baseball due to cancer. We learn Victor’s father, a lieutenant, dies in service. Toni and Victor make love.
Toni discovers she is 10 weeks pregnant with Cole’s child.
John eats dinner at Palazzo Italiana Ristorante. Bea the waitress reports to Toni that Victor is snooping in her car. Toni confronts Victor and they argue. Victor explains he would die without Toni. John witnesses their confrontation.
Toni calls Cole and explains she is pregnant. Cole forgives Toni and plans to return home to surprise Toni at the prom with an engagement ring.
The next morning, John warns Toni that Victor is still drinking and that she is in danger.
Toni confronts Victor at work. He threatens to kill Cole and hits her across the face with an open condom. Toni knees him in the groin to escape. Toni quits her job.
Cole takes the next flight to New York.
Toni believes she has failed both Victor and Cole. She visits her parents’ gravesite again. This time, she is angry with her father. She decides to keep the baby. She declares she will no longer be victimized by anyone.
After work, Victor searches for Toni. When he cannot find her, inibriated, he drives home and his landlord reiterates there are no pets allowed in the apartment! Victor then strangles the cat with his bare hands. He takes his father’s gun from the flag case and storms out.
Cole waits curbside at JFK sporting a tux, teddy bear, and flowers. John arrives, and they drive off to the prom.
Victor arrives at the prom and sends Toni a message that Cole is waiting outside. Toni misses Cole by only a few seconds in the lobby and comes out only to be abducted by Victor. Victor insists Toni return, but she explains she loves Cole and that she is pregnant with his child. Victor begins to strangle Toni.
Cole runs out to find Toni and Victor. He pounces on Victor and pins him to the ground. Victor reaches for his father’s gun. There is a gunshot. John shoots Victor.
The ambulance takes away Victor’s dead body. Toni appears to be dead but is in critical condition. Cole and Toni profess their love for one another. As the ambulance takes Toni to the hospital, Cole stands smiling hope and joy through his tears.