A teenage girl who doesn’t want to live finds her "reason for being" while traveling  from Chicago to Montana in a crowded camper with a stubborn old lady who doesn’t want to die.

SYNOPSIS:

In a mid-1990s Chicago suburb, punk-haired LEXIE ANDERSON (15) awkwardly covers her suicide attempt-bandaged wrist as she prepares for her dad GREG’s (40s) wedding to DONNA ROLLINS (late 30s). Pre-nuptial festivities are interrupted by the arrival of Donna’s step-mother STELLA RAMSEY (late 60s-early 70s) in her well-traveled camper with daschunds Trixie and Ollie yapping out the windows. Donna introduces a resistant Lexie to Stella who has heard about Lexie’s recent suicide attempt. She thinks Lexie’s an attention-seeking city girl; Lexie labels Stella “an old hick” and “totally uncool.”

Later at home, Lexie tries to ignore her depressed and angry mom MARINA (mid-30s) who's celebrating Greg’s remarriage alone with two bottles of scotch. The next morning, after Marina leaves for work, Lexie flees to her dad's house hoping Greg will let her “house-sit” while he and Donna are honeymoon cruising. But her plan is squashed by Stella, who preps her camper for the long drive to Northwest Montana where she owns a ranch with her brother HOMER (70s). Stella won't let Lexie stay alone at Greg’s and insists she ride to Montana with her. Not only concerned about Lexie’s mental state, Stella realizes it won't hurt for her to have a companion on what is likely her final trip home. Her cardiologist has urged her to quit being a nomad, warning that her worsening heart condition will stop her for good if she does.

Lexie’s furious about riding in a rickety camper with this crazy old lady. She's also allergic to the dogs. But when Stella says Lexie can ride horses at her ranch, she gives in. Lexie loves horses. She used to work at an urban stable so she could ride in Lincoln Park to help her escape her mom’s miseries. In fact, Lexie carries a small china horse figurine in her backpack for comfort. Greg gave it to her before he left her mom, unable to cope with her depression and drinking. After Lexie fakes a call home for "permission” to go with Stella for the summer, they hit the road before Marina can discover Lexie's gone.

A self-reliant Montana gal who grew up on her family’s ranch, Stella “takes nonsense from no one” -- especially not a spoiled teen with ‘neon blue’ hair. Stella married a bootlegger when she was only 15. They fled to Mexico during Prohibition and she’s been on the road ever since. Unable to have kids after a messy miscarriage, Stella’s gathered a huge “family” all over the country through her travels. After her husband died, she became a photo-journalist for travel and senior magazines, befriending other “snowbirds” (full-time road travelers) in campgrounds from Cape Cod to San Luis Obispo. Her stubborn streak helped her ignore her weakening heart until now -- but she secretly fears losing control of her life and becoming an invalid. In contrast, Lexie’s felt abandoned by her parents since their divorce. Too self-absorbed to notice she needs support, Marina is infuriated and Greg's confused by her half-hearted suicide attempt, which has only made Lexie’s life worse.

As they journey north, tensions increase hourly between Lexie and Stella. Lexie’s appalled that discover that Stella snores, and so do the dogs. So she gets little sleep. She also wakes each morning covered with mosquito bites. When they reach Wisconsin, Stella detours to see an old friend who runs a halfway house for retarded adults, only to discover she just died. This brings mortality a bit too close to home for Stella. But Lexie’s impressed when Stella confronts a nasty neighbor who resents the “retards,” and they quickly head on down the road.

In Minnesota, Stella finds a bottle of barbiturates in Lexie’s purse and secretly tosses it. She also finds Lexie’s name on a police list of runaways and realizes Lexie did not really get permission from her mom to go on this road trip. Worried she’ll be considered a “kidnapper” if cops stop them, Stella suggests Lexie go home now. But Lexie refuses, unable to deal with her mother again.

Eager to reach a safe haven in South Dakota, Stella pushes herself hard and nearly crashes the camper. This scares Lexie who thinks Stella’s had a minor stroke and now she’s stuck with a crazy woman who’s dying. But when Lexie denies taking the old pistol Stella keeps “for emergencies,” Stella ditches Lexie on a country road in South Dakota to teach her a lesson. Finally Lexie walks to town -- and finds the camper waiting. Still defiant but ashamed, Lexie returns Stella’s .45.

They drive to a Lakota Reservation where Lexie is introduced to the Native way of life by Lakota teen VIRGIL. Meanwhile Stella receives a “healing treatment” from Virgil’s MEDICINE MAN grandfather. But he refuses to let Stella stay for the Sun Dance because Lexie has “walked with Death.” Lexie thinks this is crap, but Stella admits that Grandfather said Death walks with her (Stella) too.

Further on -- in Deadwood, South Dakota -- they arrive in time for Deadwood Days, a big annual rodeo. Stella sets up her portable booth at a street fair to sell her photos. But her camper’s license and Lexie’s uncommon hair color get them noticed by local cops who received an APB from Chicago after Marina reported Lexie missing. As cops arrest Stella, Lexie runs off. She tries to get a job with the rodeo but has an awkward encounter with the young COWBOY who runs the show and nearly gets raped. Lexie flees and but some cops spot her hitching a ride out of town. She winds up in jail with Stella.

They’re released when Marina refuses to send money to fly Lexie back to Chicago and drops the kidnapping charge. Frustrated and angry at Marina, Lexie accidentally breaks her beloved china horse, which sends her grief spiraling. Since Greg and Donna are still on a cruise, she's forced to stay with Stella until they return.

The road trip continues through Montana, where the women are held hostage in Stella's camper by an escaped and wounded CONVICT. Stella heard about him from the Deadwood police and is cautious when he holds Lexie at gunpoint with Stella’s .45. But when he falls asleep, Lexie and Stella escape. He wakes abruptly and shoots at them, but the ancient gun explodes in his hand. Declared heroes by local TROOPERS, Stella and Lexie receive $1,000 as a reward.

They spend part of it on a long soak in a hot mineral bath at a spa-and-backpack ranch in the Montana mountains. Lexie’s quietly attracted to camp manager GUY who offers herbal remedies for her allergies. But when Guy urges her to read a poem she wrote at the community campfire, she gets embarrassed and clams up. Stella gives her the option of going home again, but Lexie now chooses to go to Stella's ranch, eager to ride Homer’s horses in the majestic Montana mountains.

The ranch outside Deer Lodge, Montana, is as rejuvenating as Lexie hoped. She asks if she can stay for the summer and promises to get “real permission” from Marina this time. But Marina selfishly insists Lexie come home to take care of her “instead of some crazy old lady.” Lexie refuses and rides off into the mountains on Homer’s Appaloosa. When she doesn’t return by nightfall and thunderclouds gather, Stella goes searching for the girl in her camper.

Hours later, Stella's driving slick mountain roads looking for Lexie as a sharp pain shoots down her left arm. It stops her cold -- she’s having a stroke but can’t stop it, just as she’d feared. Fortunately, Lexie -- dripping wet and leading her horse -- spies the camper stopped in the road. Stella is huddled on the floor, unable to talk or move. Realizing that Stella’s survival depends on her now, Lexie ties the horse to the back, takes the wheel, and slowly maneuvers the camper back to the ranch in pouring rain despite her limited driving experience. Lexie refuses to leave Stella’s side as Homer rushes Stella to the local hospital.

Over the following week, Stella recuperates in hospital as Lexie cleans up the dusty ranch house. She finds albums containing photos of Stella as a young woman, traveling with her husband. Lexie visits Stella daily and even sneaks the dogs in to see her. As Stella prepares to go home from the hospital, Lexie browses in the gift shop and spots some horse figurines similar to her broken talisman. She considers buying one with some of her reward money, but decides not to -- it represents her past. She’s ready for a more solid future now.

Back at the ranch with Stella, Lexie shares one of her poems for the first time. Stella thinks it’s quite good and encourages Lexie to write more. She also proposes a collaboration: if Lexie will write stories about Stella’s life, they can pair the stories with Stella’s photos and publish a book. Excited, Lexie dives into this project, gaining new insights about Stella and also her own talents.

Several nights later as Lexie cooks dinner, she senses something’s very wrong. Racing to Stella’s room, she finds her friend near death. But Stella insists Lexie open the top drawer of her dresser -- inside is a gift for her, a beautiful hand-carved wooden horse. Stella hopes it will help Lexie remember their summer together and how much she’s grown up. Lexie’s no longer fragile like china; the wooden horse reflects her newfound strength and solidness.

Days later, a large group gathers at Stella’s grave to bid her farewell. Lexie stands with Greg and Donna, holding her small wooden horse. She calmly reads a poem reminding Stella’s “family” that her invincible spirit is everywhere -- in the winds, the sunlight, the autumn rain, the birds’ flight. As Lexie shares her feelings aloud, it’s clear Stella found strength to let go through helping Lexie find her “reason for being.” The women changed each other, and Stella’s legacy now lives on in Lexie...

THE CHINA HORSE