Jack Starks (Adrien Brody), a former American soldier, who served for his country during the Persian Gulf War, is heading home to Vermont. Due to having been shot in the head, he occasionally suffers from amnesia, but other than that he seems to be just fine. Things are going good until one snowy day, when Jack is hitch-hiking to town. The driver he flagged down is a criminal on the run from the police. When a cop pulls them over, the stranger murders the cop and flees the scene. Jack is now left behind and because of his memory problems does not remember a single thing. He is being accused of murdering the cop and put away into a mental institution, where he is treated by Dr. Becker (Kris Kristofferson).