Propelled by a strong sense of family loyalty and remarkable inner strength, Bessie becomes the pivotal source of unity and hope in a family wrought with tragedy, illness, and estrangement. Humor and warmth are woven throughout, as Bessie cares for her ailing father, Marvin, and Aunt Ruth, while simultaneously reaching out to reconnect with her estranged sister, Lee. In the end, the beams of sunlight, reflected from a small mirror around Marvin’s room, become more than idle entertainment bestowed upon a mute, bedridden old man.