Two brothers who hate themselves are going to spend Christmas with their mother. She tries to get them together.

The story follows a band of former Confederate soldiers who were part of a cavalry unit. Their commander, Graff (Rourke) had once been a heroic and staunch supporter of the southern cause, but after losing his family he became cold hearted and ruthless. His second in command is Eustis (Mulroney), whom Graff has trained on the strategies of leadership and combat command.

The accidental breakdown of an irrigation valve launches a hot confrontation between the mainly Latino farmers in a tiny New Mexico town and the real estate developers and politicians determined to acquire their land for a golf resort.