Third-generation Florida beekeeper Ulee Jackson (Fonda) may have gotten out of Vietnam alive, but he left a part of himself behind. Now he methodically tends his bees, carefully provides for those who need him, and vigilantly keeps his emotions at bay. But when both his family and his livelihood are threatened by a long-buried secret, Ulee must break through his emotional walls, find the strength to change, and begin life anew.