When his mother sells the ranch where he grew up, John Grady (Matt Damon) embarks on a search for adventure with his pal Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas). Lured south of the border by the romance of cowboy life, they arrive at a hacienda where they are hired to break horses. There, John falls into an ill-fated romance with Alejandra, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy ranch owner. It leads to a series of disaster events that ultimately prove to be John's greatest test of maturity and manhood.