Parents need to know that this drama concerns stressful relations among a young widowed mother, her angry father-in-law, and her 11-year-old daughter: this means that the film includes frequent scenes of family tension. This strain begins with an accidental death of the girl's father, not shown on screen but repeatedly discussed. That said, these scenes are not explosive, but taut and delicately handled. Characters argue, curse, smoke, and drink briefly. One male character abuses his girlfriend, in images that are occasionally abrupt and disturbing, and he is eventually beaten for his transgressions. A character bears scars from a bear attack (and discusses their appearance with the 12-year-old girl), and later in the film, a bear attacks the grandfather, frightening the granddaughter, who reacts and saves him.

Families can talk about the theme of forgiveness. The characters are split between those who feel guilty, angry, and unforgiving (Jean and Einar, her father-in-law), and those more open to forgiveness (the girl, Griff and Mitch, the bear's victim): how do all the characters come to appreciate the difficulties endured by the others, and so begin to understand their responses? How does the bear figure as a metaphor for "accidents" and for forgiveness? How might Einar or Jean have found other ways to express their grief and sense of guilt?