1960年代初，胶东某地。小麦的丰收引起了大家对余粮处理的议论，支书赵五婶（王玉梅 饰）有着自己的主张。粮食的丰收固然有广大社员付出的汗水，但与上级领导的关心和国家方方面面的支援也无不关系。她主张多卖余粮支援国家。大队长、老伴赵大川（郭殿昌 饰）却有自己的小九九，在别人的煽动下，他想用余粮换牲口以增加集体财产。副大队长王宝山（高如平 饰）是大川的支持者，他们未经五婶同意，私自用大车拉粮赶集换牲口，车被闻讯赶到的民兵队长赵洪奎（邵力 饰）截了回去，双方发生僵持。五婶带领部分党员和积极分子赶到现场，制止了这一错误行为，在号开的支部会上，看到王老四（刘子云 饰）等人投机倒把的材料，大川才知道自己被坏人利用了。

Caleb Gare (Sam Shepard) is a farmer obsessed with owning as much land as he can and controlling his entire family. This becomes more complicated when a beautiful visiting teacher moves into the Gare home and she becomes involved in a battle of wills. To complicate matters more, a deep secret held by Caleb's wife will have to come to the surface. With the family at the breaking point, they must put aside their differences to bring in the year's harvest, after which they celebrate at the town's annual festival. Little does Caleb suspect that the one night of celebration will end in disaster, turmoil, and forever change the family.

1962年靠山庄农业获得丰收，党支部书记赵五婶主张把余粮卖给国家。五婶的丈夫大队长赵大川在坏分子王学孔的煽动下自作主张地把余粮交给驴贩子出身的王老四去调换牲口。五婶抵制了丈夫的本位主义思想，派人截回粮食，并揭发了王学孔和王老四合伙进行投机倒把的行为，终使丈夫醒悟，把余粮卖给了国家。

The American farm and farmer at harvest time, beginning in Texas with the first cutting of winter wheat, and following the season north to the Canadian border.

陈家庄农业生产合作社在党支部书记、全国劳动模范陈初元的带领下，连年获得丰收。合作社主任孙富贵却产生了骄傲自满情绪，当李家庄向陈家庄提出明年的增产竞赛时，他认为生产已经到顶了，应不应战要等陈初元从北京参加国庆观礼回来后再做决定。陈初元回乡后，向村民们介绍了在首都见到毛主席和参观国营农场的情况，并提出了增产口号，动员大家响应爱国增产运动。陈家庄的人们听后都仿佛看到了美好的未来，对增产增加了信心。只有孙富贵和副业队长杨明远觉得增产的目标太高，难以完成。孙富贵还固执地拿脑袋和陈初元打赌说：增产绝对实现不了!为了保证增产，陈初元认为光靠密植、施豆饼和化肥是不够的，一定要想办法打井，把旱地变成水浇地。孙富贵的儿子小冬与陈初元的女儿金花都是共青团员，他们拥护陈初元的打井计划。

从近处看，米克尔似乎在欲望的笼罩中四处走动：找到他失踪的猪，获得生物学证明，在菜子沙漠中打破孤独。 但是，更进一步，米克尔似乎反而吸引了保罗。

Tiny Tim stars in his first dramatic film role in this taut drama. A Beautiful young girl, Jill Robinson, returns to her peaceful rural home town to find that her life has been turned upside down. The house she grew up in has been defaced, her parents are missing, and the whole town hates her father, the bank supervisor who had foreclosed on many of the local farms. Only "Marvelous Mervo" (Tiny Tim) seems happy to see her. He wanders around the community dressed in a clown's suit with a clown's permanent grin grotesquely painted on his face. Mervo's brother tries to re-kindle his love affair with Jill. Then, one by one, those closest to her are slaughtered like cattle... tied upside down from the rafters of the barn... until the surprise ending reveals the madman.. and a very unlikely savior.

陈家庄农业生产合作社在党支部书记、全国劳动模范陈初元的带领下，连年获得丰收。合作社主任孙富贵（赵子岳 饰）却产生了骄傲自满情绪，当李家庄向陈家庄提出明年的增产竞赛时，他认为生产已经到顶了，应不应战要等陈初元（李舒田 饰）从北京参加国庆观礼回来后再做决定。陈初元回乡后，向村民们介绍了在首都见到毛主席和参观国营农场的情况，并提出了增产口号，动员大家响应爱国增产运动。陈家庄的人们听后都仿佛看到了美好的未来，对增产增加了信心。秋天到了，陈家庄获得了空前的大丰收，与李家庄的竞赛又一次取得了胜利。

1930年，浙江西部某山区的贫苦农民林有山。不堪忍受地主的剥削与压迫，全家迁到乱石坡。他含辛茹苦，垦荒三年，开辟了一小块无主地，并向官府交纳了税，领了地契。林有山满以为有了这块地，全家人便可赖以生存，不料招来了家破人亡的横祸。恶霸地主吴展成的儿子吴天豹，看到林有山开垦的荒地已成熟地，意欲强行霸占。当林有山的妻子与他论理时，吴天豹竟然砸坏林家的饭锅，气势汹汹地离去。狡猾的吴展成见林有山和众乡亲同到他家评理，因怕众怒难犯，假装叫管家赔一口新锅，将林有山和众乡亲哄骗回去，随后又指使吴天豹带领爪牙，撕毁地契，烧死青苗，并将林有山的婴儿摔死。林有山悲痛万分，抱尸到国民党伪政府衙门告状，而伪司法科长范季洪却公然包庇吴天豹，反将林有山打下冤狱。林有山的妻子忍无可忍，又告到了伪浙江省法院。负责审理此案的吴推事玩弄花招，表面释放林有山，假意传讯吴天豹，实际上是把林有山作为自己升官发财的阶梯。林有山回家后，见到房子被烧，妻子被杀害，儿子志刚也被逼逃亡。他怀着满腔冤愤，携带女儿菊英，千里迢迢跋涉到南京，向伪最高法院告状，却被逐出门外；他舍身拦车喊冤，又遭凌辱。这时，林有山才认清了“天下乌鸦一般黑”，伪官府与地主相勾结陷害老百姓。从此，他不再告状，身背黄榜向过往行人申诉冤情，揭露地主和贪官污吏的罪行。林有山的反抗震动了南京城，反动当局惊慌失措，害死了菊英，并将林有山关进疯人院。十年以后，林有山从疯人院回到家乡，临终前刻下一块碑石，要子孙后代记住这血海深仇。1949年，林有山的家乡解放了，他的儿子志刚参加了解放军，随部队回到了家乡，公审了恶霸地主吴天豹，林有山的冤仇终于得到了昭雪。