Gardner Barnes (Kevin Costner) is a young Texan who has just graduated from college and is unsure of what to do next. Along with his friends, collectively known as the Groovers, Gardner embarks on a road trip to the Rio Grande as a last hurrah for the group. As the trip progresses, Gardner and his buddies, including Kenneth Waggener (Sam Robards) and Phil Hicks (Judd Nelson), struggle with their impending adulthood and the looming issue of the Vietnam War.