Bess McNeill (Emily Watson) lives a calm and quaint Christian life amongst the Scottish Highlands. Despite the unease of her local community and church, she marries the love of her life, a Norwegian oilrig worker, Jan (Stellan Skarsga°rd), who is often away working for long periods of time.
Lonely and besotted, Bess prays for his quick return. A wish that is granted when an accident occurs on the rig paralysing Jan. He is flown back to the Scottish mainland.
A moving and uplifting but brutal assessment of love, faith, social pressure and human dignity, Breaking the Waves earned an Academy Award® nomination for Emily Watson in her breakthrough role and demonstrated to the world the power of Lars von Trier's filmmaking ability.