In a Mississippi town, beloved matriarch Jewel Mae "Cookie" Orcutt dies by suicide. Her scheming niece, Camille, finds the body, destroys the suicide note, and frames Cookie's handyman Willis for murder to protect the family name. As the investigation unfolds, Camille's timid sister, Cora, and her daughter, Emma, become entangled in Camille's deceit, while Willis's true bond with Cookie emerges. © 1999 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.