In late 19th century Europe, Isabel (Nicole Kidman), a young, free-spirited American woman who has just inherited a fortune, rejects the conventional path of marriage, determined instead to explore the world and pursue her own ambitions. On a journey, she makes friends with a manipulative woman (Barbara Hershey) and falls in love with an art collector (John Malkovich) — though she begins to question the advantages of wealth when she realises the influence it has on her relationships. Based on the novel by Henry James, this is a timeless story about the search for self-knowledge, freedom and love.