Based on the novel Farmer by Jim Harrison, this drama concerns Joseph Svenden (Dennis Hopper), a one-time farmer in his late forties who took up teaching when he permanently injured his leg in an accident. Joseph's life is orderly, precise, and rather dull. He teaches with as much enthusiasm as he can muster, lives in the farmhouse where he grew up, and has been engaged for the last six years to Rosealee Henson (Amy Irving). Rosealee is the widow of his best friend, and, for a variety of reasons, both she and Joseph are reluctant to set a date (she devotes much of her time to caring for her ailing mother). One day Joseph is met in his barn by Catherine Wheeler (Amy Locane), a new student in his senior class. Catherine attempts to seduce Joseph, who dutifully refuses, only to request a second chance a few moments later, which Catherine eagerly grants him. This unexpected event brings out a newly adventurous side in Joseph, though he suddenly has a new set of complications to go along with it; he discovers that his school is closing, and Catherine's parents are predictably angry when they find out about their daughter's liaison.
It's dark. Quiet. There's no one else around. Out of nowhere a mysterious man pushes you to the floor and raises a claw hammer. What do you do? Try to run away? Beg for mercy? Fight back? Told in their own words, these are the heart-wrenching stories of the brave survivors who escaped the Yorkshire Ripper - and, in so doing, helped to put the monster behind bars. Peter Sutcliffe, The Yorkshire Ripper, is one of the most notorious British serial killers of all time. He murdered 13 women and attempted to kill at least 20 more during a 5-year reign of terror. Now, in this compelling documentary we tell his shocking story through the ones that got away - the brave survivors who he attacked but who lived to tell the tale. It was their testimony that helped to put the Ripper behind bars, bringing his murderous rampage to an end.