Adapted by author Richard Russo from his 2001 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Empire Falls is a portrait of the gritty drama and human comedy that make up everyday life in blue-collar America. On a daily basis, goodhearted restaurant manager Miles Roby (Ed Harris) tries to keep his Empire Grill going, even as the wealthy and powerful Mrs. Whiting (Joanne Woodward), makes life difficult for him.

If that wasn't enough, Miles has to keep tabs on his scoundrel of a dad, Max (Paul Newman) who is always looking for trouble. But, Miles has something much bigger than just restaurant receipts and a cantankerous father on his mind-he can't shake the ghosts of his past that keep his fate inevitably connected to Empire Falls.