I won't go into great detail, but most of the forces in this story have to face the realities of their world. You can't change people by intimidating them. There is racism and it isn't just a stereotypical fact. There are facts in evidence that one has to face, even if it is so hard. Tim Hutton's character starts to gain some sense of gravity and finally starts to act in the face of an irrational, hate filled ex-wife.