扬帆

夏洛特（贝蒂·戴维斯 Bette Davis 饰）已经能算得上是一个老姑娘了，她梳着呆板的发型，穿着保守的服装，性格也古里古怪的，更糟糕的是，她似乎还染上了酗酒的坏毛病。在家人的建议之下，夏洛特决定踏上治疗心灵的旅途，登上了驶往远方的游轮。 　　在游轮上，夏洛特邂逅了名为杰瑞（保罗·亨雷德 Paul Henreid 饰）的男子，并且在误打误撞之中和杰瑞的女儿结下了深厚的友谊。很快，夏洛特就感到自己坠入了情网之中，然而，此时的杰瑞并不是自由身，他有这一段无法结束的婚姻。心碎的夏洛特选择了离开，而夏洛特的母亲也在不久之后撒手人寰。In Boston, the over-weight spinster Charlotte Vale is a repressed woman without self-esteem and completely dominated by her wealthy mother Mrs. Henry Vale. When her sister-in-law Lisa Vale brings the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Jaquith, who is her friend, to visit Charlotte, he invites her to spend some time in his sanatorium. Soon Charlotte transforms into a sophisticated and confident woman and travels in a cruise to South America. She meets architect Jerry Durrance, who is married, and they have a love affair in Rio de Janeiro. Six months later, she returns home and confronts her mother with her independence and own free will. One day, Charlotte has an argument with her mother and she dies of a heart attack. Charlotte becomes the heir of the Vale's fortune but she feels guilty for the death of her mother. She decides to return to Dr. Jaquith's sanatorium where she befriends Tina, who is the twelve-year-old daughter of Jerry rejected by her mother. She brings the girl to her house in Boston and one day, Jerry visits Tina and Charlotte with Dr. Jaquith.