Plot
Typical of Arriaga's works, this film is told in a non-linear narrative, where events are revealed out of sequence. The following plot summary is in chronological order, and thus does not reflect the exact sequence of the events as seen on screen.
The story starts off some time in the mid-90's in a small New Mexico town near the border of Mexico, where we are introduced to Gina (Kim Basinger), a wife and mother to four children. Gina carries out an affair with a local man named Nick Martinez (Joaquim de Almeida), who also has a family of his own, but unbeknownst to the two, Gina's teenage daughter Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence) finds out about their love affair. Mariana follows her mother to Nick's trailer. Knowing the two are inside and in an effort to make them end their affair, she disassembles the gas pipe leading into the trailer, and sets it on fire. The flames eventually reach a gas tank that causes a fiery explosion, consuming the entire trailer and claiming both Nick and Gina's lives, although she had no intention of killing either of them. After their funeral, Mariana and Nick's own teenage son, Santiago (JD Pardo), slowly begin to develop a relationship of their own. Mariana soon becomes aware that she is pregnant with Santiago's daughter. The two flee to Mexico amid disapproval from their families and decide to have the baby there, but after she has delivered their daughter, Mariana abandons her family and assumes the new name of Sylvia.
Over a decade later, Sylvia (now played by Charlize Theron) works at a high-end Portland restaurant. Despite her success, she resorts to promiscuity and has persistent thoughts of suicide. Here we see a mysterious man following her around. It is Carlos (Jose Maria Yazpik) who is a close friend and business-partner to Santiago. After an accident involving their crop-dusting plane, the hospitalized Santiago urges Carlos to look for Sylvia who he's been searching for since she abandoned him and their two-day old daughter.
Because Carlos cannot speak English and Sylvia doesn't speak Spanish, he has trouble explaining to her the purpose of his visit. Instead, he surprises Sylvia with her now twelve year old daughter, Maria (Tessa Ia). Maria, who is reluctant to meet her estranged mother, is heartbroken when her mother abruptly leaves again. Sylvia, later realizing her mistake, enlists the help of her friend Laura (Robin Tunney) to search and finally find Carlos and Maria in a motel.
Managing to get through to Maria, they fly over to Mexico, where Sylvia apologizes to Maria for the years she's been absent in her life. After a night of rest, they arrive at the hospital to see Santiago, who is still in a coma from the accident. Sylvia confesses her past sins by his bedside, unsure if he will ever wake up again. The doctor reassures them that he will pull through and the story concludes with the signs of hope for the family.
Read more about this topic: The Burning Plain
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“The plot was most interesting. It belonged to no particular age, people, or country, and was perhaps the more delightful on that account, as nobody’s previous information could afford the remotest glimmering of what would ever come of it.”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)