Based on the true story of Evelyn Ryan. Offers a revealing study of the housewife's plight during the Eisenhower era, along with an inspiring tale of tenacity and survival against formidable odds. Evelyn is a cheerfully strong-willed mother of ten who compensates for the failings of her alcoholic husband by becoming the most successful "contester" in the country. Between the mid-1950s and the early '60s, Evelyn submitted cleverly worded poems, jingles, and slogans in corporate sponsored contests. Winning everything from palm trees and pogo-sticks to sports cars and cash, she somehow mangages to hold the financially desperate family together with happy smiles and a rock-solid defiance.