Siblings Maisie and Tony, along with their mother, gather for their sister Eileen's wedding. It is a joyous occasion, but through flashbacks, it becomes clear that the family was not always happy. Their father was physically abusive to his wife and left the children emotionally traumatized. As a result, the children have grown into unhappy adults, looking for love they didn't receive when they were young. The lives of an English working-class family are told out of order in a free-associative manner. The first part, Distant Voices, focuses on the father's role in the family. The second part, Still Lives, focuses on his children.