Jude Fawley (Christopher Eccleston) is a stonemason with a passion for learning. Inspired by his teacher, he longs to attend University, however, his ambition is scuppered by a brief, unhappy marriage to a pig farmer's daughter. When this ends, Jude moves to Christminster to be closer to his beloved scholars, where he meets and falls totally in love with his cousin Sue Bridehead (Kate Winslet)--a thoroughly modern young woman, whose wit and beauty captivate him. The ill-fated lovers join in an illicit union that flouts society's conventions and tragedy ensues.