Eagles are the channel to the spirit world for a Hopi Indian boy who defies tribal law and frees a sacred, sacrificial eagle. He is banished from his village to the wilderness, but the eagle teaches him hunting skills and cares for him. He eventually returns, only to be bullied and taunted by the other village boys.
Rebelling against his dreary life in a small Arizona town, salesman Nick abandons his girlfriend, Beth, and strikes out onto the highway in search of... something else. Encouraged by her best friend, Carol, Beth reluctantly accepts the romantic attentions of Sid, a local housepainter.