Dry Rain takes place over the course of an afternoon in a non-descript lifeless time warp characteristic of America's Heart-land. Stil, a broken man in his early forties, is in a drought. His family, his financial means, and his power to do anything about either, have evaporated and he crosses the line as he desperately, aimlessly, and unrealistically grasps for hope in his past. Stil has stolen away his nine year-old son, Joey, from his ex-wife, Tracy. The question is whether he has taken him on a "vacation", as Stil calls it, across the border into Canada, or has abducted him with the intent to receive a ransom for his return.