The Effect of Gamma Rays On Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds

American drama based on the play by Paul Zindel in which a seemingly downtrodden, despondent mother survives the hardships in life by scouring the classified adverts section in the newspaper and smoking while she blames everyone around her for her misery. Determined that one day luck will fall in her lap and she will fulfil her dreams, Beatrice (Joanne Woodward) meanwhile inflicts her cynicism upon her daughters as she criticises the world around her. Beatrice's daughter Ruth (Roberta Wallach) may be an apple destined not to fall too far from the tree, but Matilda (Nell Potts) shows promise and focuses not on her home environment but her school projects instead.

When Matilda sets up an experiment investigating the effect that gamma rays have on marigolds, she is surprised to find that the results may be a reflection of her family.