Addie Bundren, the mother of a poor family in Mississippi, is very ill and on the verge of death. Her eldest son, Cash, who is a skilled craftsman, is already working on her coffin. When Addie finally dies, her husband Anse, along with their children Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell and Vardaman, sets out to fulfill their last wish: to be buried in their hometown of Jefferson. But the 40-mile journey holds a lot of dangers. The grief for the mother and wife brings to light the previously suppressed and hidden emotions of the family members and a tragic incident occurs ...