A young, loving couple and their two children travel around the French countryside with an old-fashioned carousel in tow, setting it up in small towns and fairgrounds to earn a living. They are happy, supportive, and free-spirited, yet as time goes by, life on the road becomes more difficult -- it can be boring, and the family is sometimes eyed with distrust by the more conservative provincials and by the police. As the family begins to feel the effects of these aloof attitudes, their solidity is invaded by cracks and chinks until they are well on their way to losing their once-happy union. At that point, one of the children has a bad accident, causing the family members intense anxiety, and as a result, the perspective on their differences starts to change.