In 1917, during
World War I, in the central California towns of
Monterey and
Salinas, Cal and Aron are young adult
fraternal twins who live in the Salinas Valley with their father, Adam Trask, a farmer and wartime
draft board chairman. A deeply religious Christian, Adam told the boys their mother, Kate, died when they were infants. Aron is pious, dutiful, and responsible; while Cal is moody, impulsive, rebellious, embittered, and convinced he is sinful. Cal believes his father loves only his brother Aron. Questioning by nature, Cal discovers his supposedly dead mother, Kate, operates a
brothel in nearby Monterey, though he keeps this information from Adam and Aron. Adam's idealistic plan for a long-haul vegetable shipping enterprise ends disastrously, and he loses his entire fortune. To recoup his father's loss, hoping to earn his father's love while proving his worth, Cal decides to enter the bean-growing business, predicting that bean prices will skyrocket if the United States enters the war. Stalking Kate, he eventually reveals himself to her, stating that he believes his personality has more in common with her than his father. Going from skepticism to approval as she assesses Cal, Kate reveals that she deserted the family because she hated living on the farm, she never loved Adam, and she rebelled against his complete control. When Adam attempted to stop her leaving, she shot him in the shoulder. Cal then pressures Kate for the $5,000 capital he needs, hinting that he might reveal her past. In lending Cal the money, Kate notes the irony that the loan proceeds from her business are intended to preserve Adam's goodness. Meanwhile, Aron's girlfriend, Abra, grows attracted to Cal, as she finds they share personality traits, and he reciprocates her feelings. Cal's bean venture is successful, and he intends to give the profits to Adam at a surprise birthday party he and Abra have planned. As the party begins, jealous of Cal's financial present and wary of Cal's growing closeness to Abra, Aron suddenly announces his gift to Adam is his engagement to Abra. While Adam is openly pleased, both Abra and Cal are uneasy due to their growing feelings for one another. When Cal presents the money to his father, Adam refuses it, claiming war profiteering is unethical; as the chairman of the draft board, he may be sending young men to fight. He demands Cal give the money back to the farmers he "robbed." Adam adds that Aron's gift, compared to Cal's, is "honest and...good." A dejected Cal sees his father's refusal as another emotional rejection. When a distraught Cal leaves the room, Abra goes after him. Aron follows and orders Cal to stay away from her. In retaliation, Cal angrily tells the prudish Aron that their mother is alive, then takes him to her Monterey brothel. Cal roughly shoves the stunned Aron at the disapproving elderly Kate, causing her to fall. When Cal arrives home, Adam demands to know where Aron is. Initially responding that he is "not his
brother's keeper", Cal then tells Adam what he did. The truth about his mother drives the pacifistic Aron to get drunk, lose control, and then board a troop train to enlist in the army. When the sheriff informs Adam, he rushes to the station in a futile attempt to dissuade him. Adam fails, watching helplessly as Aron smashes his head through the rail car window, maniacally laughing as the train pulls away. A shocked Adam suffers a stroke, leaving him paralyzed and unable to communicate. Cal tries talking to Adam, who remains unresponsive. Abra pleads with Adam to show Cal some affection before it is too late. When Cal makes his last bid for acceptance before leaving town, Adam manages to speak. He tells Cal to fire the annoying nurse, then whispers something to him. With satisfaction, Cal tells Abra that Adam said he wants only Cal to care for him. Cal sits alone by his father's bedside, the emotional chasm between the father and son beginning to heal. Cal stays to care for him, supported by Abra. ==Cast==