Plot: After his mother's death, Collin Fenwick goes to live with his father's cousins, the wealthy, avaricious, and controlling Verena Talbo, and her compliant, earthy sister Dolly. When a city slicker comes to town and convinces Verena to market Dolly's locally-famous tonic, Dolly finally gets some backbone, refuses to divulge the formula, and heads for a tree house with Collin and Catherine, the loyal maid. Verena, who has most of the town in her pocket, sics the law on the renegades. Dolly, Catherine, and Collin find a supporter in a retired judge, Charlie Cool, who's attracted to Dolly. Will Verena's venom win out? And what about that city slicker?
Alternative Plot: In the 1940s, young Collin (Edward Furlong) arrives in a small, sleepy southern town after his mother's death and moves in with his aging spinster cousins, Dolly (Piper Laurie) and Verena (Sissy Spacek). He soon finds a mentor in the retired Judge Cool (Walter Matthau), who harbors secret affections for Dolly. Meanwhile, Dolly is troubled by the appearance of Morris (Jack Lemmon), a sleazy entrepreneur who wants to market her health tonic on a national scale.
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