根据在加拿大发生的一桩凶杀案写成。在一个小镇上，一天晚上四位青年在醉酒之后，残忍的杀害了一位印第安少女，但警察一直无法破案，因为小镇上的居民守口如瓶，不肯为凶杀案做证。十三年后，一位正义善良的警察不畏艰难，重新开展破案工作，终于将凶手绳之以法。这部影片揭露了白人对印第安土着的歧视。当年的案件，曾经轰动一时……

A can of worms is opened within the Irish Catholic Church following two controversial incidents, the suicide of Frank Sweeney, a parish priest and the expulsion of Daniel McLaughlin, a young trainee priest from a nearby seminary, on the grounds that he was open to the sexual advances of a male colleague. A local journalist, David Foley, is convinced that Sweeney's death and Daniel's expulsion are linked. Desperate to clear his good name and be re-instated, Daniel agrees to talk to Foley. As the story gathers momentum, the Church closes ranks.