Grand Avenue 1996

At the opening, the family is forced to leave their stepfather’s tribal reservation in California after his death, and they relocate to Grand Avenue in the South Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, California, where a wide network of extended relatives and tribal members still live. Once they find a house to rent, Mollie, Sheila Tousey, faces a tough road ahead as she searches for steady work and wrestles with alcoholism, trying to stabilize a life that keeps changing around her. The children, especially the girls, try to help keep the family afloat as they navigate this unfamiliar ground and the challenges that come with starting over in a new community.

Daughters Justine, Deena-Marie Consiglio, and Alice, Diane Debassige, shoulder much of the responsibility of keeping the family together and looking after their youngest brother, Sheldon, Cody Lightning. Justine’s search for companionship leads her into the company of local gang members, and the crowd’s rough dynamics soon test her safety when she’s acted out with friends. Alice stands as the dependable anchor, leaning on elder relatives for advice and support while trying to shield the siblings from growing trouble. Nellie, Tantoo Cardinal, an older cousin, steps in to guide Alice through traditional basket weaving and healing practices, giving her renewed confidence and a sense of cultural grounding. Nellie also becomes a vocal advocate for the tribe’s sole land holding—the cemetery—whose fate is threatened by development, highlighting the community’s need to protect their history and connection to the land.

Steven, A Martinez, Nellie’s nephew, is married to Reyna, Irene Bedard, and they enjoy a comfortable suburban life with their son, Raymond, Alexis Cruz. As Raymond and Justine cross paths at school, he is drawn to her, and Steven gradually comes to realize that Mollie may have kept a secret from their teenage years together, a revelation that slowly unravels as family dynamics shift and Justine’s world intersects more directly with his own. The tension between past and present threads through the household, underscoring how memory and family history cast long shadows over their decisions.

Meanwhile, Justine forms a bond with her cousin Jeanne, Simi Mehta, who is battling cancer and cared for by her mother Anna, Jenny Gago. As Mollie commits to sobriety, she finds support and companionship with Sherman, August Schellenberg, a recovering alcoholic who enters her life in a way that signals a potential turning point for the family. Nellie and Steven rally tribal members to muster support and resources to defend the cemetery, the community’s sacred link to the past and its important future. Jeanne’s cautions to Justine about wandering and risk-taking echo the larger theme of balance between freedom and responsibility, even as Justine’s choices carry serious consequences. In the end, the family and community grapple with grief together, finding resilience and a sense of belonging in Grand Avenue, as they learn to honor their traditions while making a life in a changing world.