At the turn of the 20th century, the Ambersons are the leading family in a small Indiana town: their home is the local showplace, and their views are news. Major Amberson's daughter, Isabel, is unable to decide between two suitors until one of them, Eugene Moran, disgraces himself by a drunken serenade. Isabel then marries the other, Wilbur Minafer, whom she does not love, and Eugene leaves town. When Wilbur dies, she centers all her affection on her son, George, who develops from a spoiled child into a shallow, self-centered man. After a number of years, Eugene, now a widower, returns to the town, having made a fortune in the manufacture of automobiles. George falls in love with Eugene's daughter but resents Eugene's obvious attachment to Mrs. Minafer. When Major Amberson dies, George, who has dissipated the family fortune, is forced to go to work. Matured by his job, George is reconciled to Eugene when Eugene rescues Mrs. Minafer from a fire in the Amberson mansion.
—AFI