Ricki Rendazzo is a 54 year old rock star who sings with her band The Flash at a dive bar in The San Fernando Valley. She is dating her guitarist, Greg, but is afraid of commitment. She receives a call from her ex-husband, Pete Brummel, who informs her that her daughter Julie is having a difficult time after her husband Max left her for another woman. Ricki flies out to Chicago to comfort her daughter and is met with scorn. After all, she left them for a rock star career years ago. Ricki attempts to bond with her daughter by taking her to get her hair and nails done. That night, she goes to dinner with her ex-husband, Julie, and her two sons Josh and Adam. She finds out Josh is getting married and Adam is gay. She realizes everything she has missed by abandoning them for her dream in Los Angeles. Later, she smokes marijuana with Pete and Julie and the defenses come down as they reminisce. The next morning, Ricki wakes to find Maureen, Pete's wife, in the kitchen making breakfast. Maureen confronts Ricki. claiming that it's probably not best for her to be here right now and informs her that she has been more of a mother to the kids than she has. Ricki returns to Los Angeles and begins to have a more serious relationship with Greg. She receives a letter from Maureen apologizing for things she said and includes an invitation to her son's wedding. Ricki wants to go but cannot afford it. Greg sells his vintage guitar so they can attend the wedding. Thankful, Ricki and Greg travel to the wedding, and the only gift Ricki can afford to give perfectly encapsulates her relationship with her children, her life's choices, and her musical talents.
