Assigned to accompany two priests on a mission to convert the court of Kublai Khan to Christianity, Marco Polo is abandoned in the mountains when the priests, doubting the very existence of China, turn back. Polo eventually pushes bravely forth alone toward the fabled country where he is accepted as an envoy into Khan's court. Marooned on the far side of the world, Polo, accompanied by his servant, Pedro, advances as a Mongol grandee for twenty extraordinary years. What he eventually brings back with him to the West is a chronicle that changed history forever.

Assigned to accompany two priests on a mission to convert the court of Kublai Khan to Christianity, Marco Polo is abandoned in the mountains when the priests, doubting the very existence of China, turn back. Polo eventually pushes bravely forth alone toward the fabled country where he is accepted as an envoy into Khan's court. Marooned on the far side of the world, Polo, accompanied by his servant, Pedro, advances as a Mongol grandee for twenty extraordinary years. What he eventually brings back with him to the West is a chronicle that changed history forever.

一个叫金大义的国民党骑兵受伤被俘，被安排在李家崖村。村民都不愿意接受他，只有一位善良的大嫂收留了他。骑兵头目哈胡子是金大义的义父，为寻找金大义来骚扰李家崖，金趁机逃跑，但是受伤未愈的他没跑多远就落在了沟里，大嫂为此四处寻找。村里断粮，金大义偷吃了小羊羔，大嫂获知丈夫牺牲的消息，悲愤的大嫂将金赶出了家门，但金自己回到了大嫂家。金主动承担了帮助村里运粮的任务，并与前来抢粮的哈胡子不期而遇，当哈要枪杀大嫂时，金向哈扣动了扳机。

With World War II looming, a prominent family in China must confront the contrasting ideas of traditionalism, communism and Western thinking, while dealing with the most important ideal of all: love and its meaning in society.

这天，武汉大学中文系的205号女生宿舍住进了五名新生，她们分别是匡亚兰（罗燕 饰）、辛甘（徐娅 饰）、宋歌（陈鸿梅 饰）、夏雨（江一萍 饰）和骆雪梅（李霞 饰）。骆雪梅来自农村、单纯善良；辛甘则生活在城里，家境优越；匡亚兰自幼失去了双亲，性格刚强的她靠打散工来到了大学； 宋歌刚进大学就成了班干部，热心积极的她却也有阴暗的一面；夏雪蕙质兰心，却有点胆小。这五个性格各异的女生聚在一起，谱写了一曲丰富多彩的青春之歌。

女高中生安然（邹倚天 饰）聪明爽朗，能理解深厚博大的情感却不甚了了生活中与利益相关的琐碎规则，她坚信“正义感和诚实”是做人的准则，在班主任语文老师韦婉的课上当众指出了后者教学错误，然而同学们并不支持她。
米晓玲和刘东虎是和安然走得比较近的同学，他们也有自己的不如意，和安然“姐们”相称的米晓玲因为家庭原因不得不放弃学业改做售货员，同住一栋楼内的刘东虎父母情感不和，面临着家庭的解体……班长祝文娟为人明哲保身，却很受班级上下欢迎。
安然的母亲为家庭放弃了自己的专业，长年的刻板生活让他满腹抱怨，督促安然为高一的三好学生名额努力，因为这事关女儿前途……父亲（朱旭 饰）思想开明，却因不愿用自己的画作迎合外界需求而不得志。家里最爱安然的姐姐安静（罗燕 饰）借职务便利发表了韦老师的蹩脚诗作来换取安然提名三好学生的资格……
八十年代中期，一个普通家庭作为时代的剖面，透露了人性在经历特殊时期之后的斑斑印迹。
本片获第五届中国电影金鸡奖和第八届电影百花奖最佳故事片奖，根据铁凝小说《没有纽扣的红衬衫》改编。