In 1976, Elizabeth, an average suburban 11-year-old, is praying for adolescence to arrive. Her idol is Dolly Parton and she wants to be just like her. Although women's lib is beginning to change the frame of family life, her parents Marion and Phil are typical parents, a stay-at-home mom and a working dad. When Elizabeth realizes she was adopted, she decides to find her real mother. She gets dressed up just like her idol and runs away, with Marion in pursuit.