故事发生在50年代的瑞典。奥乐福(罗夫·拉斯加德 Rolf Lassgård 饰)尽管年过四十,却依然过着形单影只的单身生活。九年前,奥乐福的母亲过世了,这给非常依赖母亲的奥乐福带来了巨大的打击,自从母亲走后,奥乐福接手了家里的农场,而他唯一的朋友,是一位名叫艾瑞克(约翰·威德伯格 Johan Widerberg 饰)年轻水手。 人生经历丰富的艾瑞克总是喜欢在奥乐福面前吹嘘自己的艳遇史,同时,他也常常欺负忠厚老实的奥乐福。一天,奥乐福在报纸上登了广告招聘一名管家,一位名叫艾伦(海伦娜·伯格斯托姆 Helena Bergström 饰)的女子应聘前来。艾瑞克一下子就爱上了艾伦,可艾伦却并不喜欢轻浮的艾瑞克。很显然,她对老实本分的奥乐福更有好感。Olof lives alone on his family's farm after the death of his mother. Unable to read and write, he is dependent on his younger friend, Erik, who helps him in the afternoons. Once a sailor, Erik brags of having known hundreds of women. Out of the blue, Olof advertises in the local paper for a young lady housekeeper, and Ellen, a middle-class city woman, arrives to take over the house and, as the summer goes on, Olof's heart and Erik's desire as well.