The Girl

A single mother loses custody of her young son while struggling to make ends meet, but takes control of her own fate after meeting a desperate Mexican girl who lost her mother while sneaking over the border into the U.S. Ashley (Abbie Cornish) is a 20-something mother still reeling from the loss of her son to Social Services when a surprise visit from her truck-driver father presents an opportunity to make some quick cash as a coyote. Having recently lost her job at a big box store in Austin, she quietly begins smuggling Mexicans over the border in hopes of staying afloat financially. Then, one night, she crosses paths with a young girl whose mother vanished while crossing a river in the dead of night. Determined not to get involved, Ashley tries in vain to keep a distance from the girl, but eventually finds her conscience stirred by the innocent child's plight. Over the next few days Ashley joins the frightened child in attempting to locate her missing mother. Meanwhile, the mother who once thought that her life was circling the drain discovers her untapped maternal instincts while gradually learning to take control of her own fate.