Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) has just returned from his garrison mission in Iraq. Although he spent a happy day with his girlfriend Kelly (Jena Malone) after being discharged from the hospital, the two finally broke up. Due to his unfinished service, Will was assigned to the "Casualty Notification" service center and served under Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson). In the process of performing the casualty notification mission, Will and Tony encountered various situations, including being beaten and insulted by emotional relatives. When conveying the news of her husband's death to Olivia Peterson (Samantha Morton), Will was worried that Olivia, an orphan and widow under a strong appearance, could not bear it. Afterwards, he took care of her and her son many times, and the two gradually developed a good impression. But Tony was dissatisfied with Will's violation of the "Casualty Notification Code of Conduct" everywhere. After a conflict, the two finally spoke out the deep pain that had been suppressed in their hearts for a long time. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (Woody Harrelson) and Best Original Screenplay, was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor (Woody Harrelson), and won the Berlin Film Festival's Peace Film Award, the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, and was nominated for the Golden Bear for Best Picture.