In the summer of 1968, young Chuck Norstadt rides a ferryboat to his family’s summer home in Maine with his self-absorbed single mother, Catherine, and his nagging half-sisters, Gloria and Megan. None of the children share the same father, and Chuck has little knowledge of his paternal lineage except that his father was educated at the prestigious Holyfield Academy. Chuck dreams of attending the military boarding school so he can be free from his troubled home life, but his quick temper and impatience have made him a poor student, and he did not pass the entrance examination. On the ferry, Chuck announces his plan to retake the test. However, his mother, Catherine, and smug older half-sister, Gloria, scoff at the boy’s intelligence and insist he will fail. Enraged, Chuck vandalizes Catherine’s car on the ferryboat, only to realize he is being watched by Justin McLeod, a local recluse who has a severe facial deformity. Despite rumors that McLeod is malicious, he does not reveal Chuck’s secret when Catherine discovers her damaged car. As Chuck studies for the Holyfield exam, he suffers from lack of guidance and encouragement. One day, Chuck’s friends lure him to the rocky shore near Justin McLeod’s desolate seaside estate, and they exchange rumors about the mysterious man. When McLeod’s dog barks at the boys, they rush away in fear, and Chuck accidentally leaves his books behind. Determined to keep up his work, Chuck bikes back to McLeod’s house and is devastated to find his papers strewn across the rocks. Chuck’s disappointment triggers a psychological breakdown, and he does not notice when it starts to rain. However, McLeod has been watching Chuck from afar and startles him awake. In McLeod’s house, Chuck learns the recluse was once a teacher and asks for tutoring on the Holyfield exam. Although McLeod is mistrustful and turns the boy away, Chuck returns the following day and convinces him to reconsider. Over time, Chuck begins to appreciate McLeod’s academic austerity, but fails to tell his mother about the mentorship because Catherine is repelled by McLeod’s shocking appearance, and does not trust the outsider. When McLeod realizes Chuck is coming to his house without Catherine’s approval, he discontinues their lessons and promises to resume once the boy speaks to his mother. Returning home, Chuck overhears a cryptic discussion between Catherine and Gloria, who has an unexplained aversion toward Chuck and his dead father. Catherine forbids Gloria from dredging up family secrets, particularly in front of Chuck, who has no memories of his father. Just then, Chuck makes his presence known, but Gloria skulks away and Catherine does not encourage conversation. Although Chuck does not secure his mother’s consent to study with McLeod, he convinces his tutor otherwise and proceeds with his lessons. McLeod lets down his guard and shows Chuck his paintings, which provide him with a steady income. Revealing his past, McLeod explains that his face was scarred in an automobile accident that took the life of a former student. The boy’s death prevented McLeod from pursuing his love of teaching. As the summer continues, Chuck scores 84% on a practice test, and McLeod charters a seaplane to reward him. Returning home from the flight, Chuck finds Gloria making love with her boyfriend and threatens to disclose the misdeed to their mother. As Chuck delights in the opportunity to exploit his sister’s indiscretion, Gloria retaliates with an unpleasant revelation about Chuck’s father: The man was an alcoholic who abused the family and committed suicide in a sanitarium. Chuck does not believe his sister, but he discovers evidence in his mother’s dresser. Distressed, Chuck races to McLeod, who encourages the boy to rest. The next morning, Chuck is reported missing and police Chief Stark finds the young man at McLeod’s house. When the boy stumbles to the door in his underwear, Chief Stark suspects malfeasance and escorts Chuck back to his mother. Catherine tearfully embraces her son and admits the truth about Chuck’s father, but she is more concerned about the boy’s relationship with McLeod. When she tells Chuck that McLeod molested the student who died in the car accident and asks her son to confess any “touching” that went on at McLeod’s home, Chuck is confused by her implication and concedes there was friendly physical contact. Despite Chuck’s insistence that McLeod is harmless, Catherine believes the boy is harboring secrets and subjects him to psychological testing. Meanwhile, McLeod is visited by Chief Stark, who summons the teacher to a courthouse “meeting.” He warns McLeod to stay away from Chuck, and rumors spread through town that McLeod is a pedophile. As summer ends, Chuck is unable to endure his separation from McLeod any longer and steals Catherine’s car, even though he is too young to drive. After a treacherous drive to McLeod’s house, Chuck demands to know the truth about his dead student, but the teacher refuses to answer. McLeod encourages the boy to use his newfound intellect and come to his own conclusion. Finally understanding the power of critical thought, Chuck realizes McLeod has been scapegoated by narrow-minded people who are afraid to question their misconceptions. As Chuck embraces his mentor, Chief Stark arrives and takes the boy away. Sometime later, McLeod defends his innocence at the town “meeting,” but the board remains skeptical and McLeod grudgingly agrees to abstain from any contact with Chuck to maintain his freedom. Elsewhere, Chuck finally passes the Holyfield Academy entrance examination and begins school. When his letters to McLeod are returned unopened, Chuck hitchhikes to his teacher’s house and finds it empty. However, McLeod left behind an original painting that features an image of Chuck, sitting on a hillside overlooking a vast landscape. McLeod sketched the picture on one of his outings with the boy that summer, and included his own likeness in the background. On top of the painting, Chuck finds a letter from McLeod that declares they must never see each other. McLeod thanks Chuck for being his friend when others were afraid to come near. Four years later, Chuck achieves his dream of graduating from Holyfield Academy. At the commencement ceremony, Chuck is delighted to catch a glimpse of McLeod in the distance. He waves to his mentor and reflects that he will always remember McLeod’s life lessons, even if he will never see his face again.