Young Chuck Norstadt (Nick Stahl) wants nothing more than to join a prestigious military academy like his late father, but he is wary of the school's lofty academic standards. With only a single summer in which to study for the entrance exam, Chuck finds an unlikely tutor in the form of Justin McLeod (Mel Gibson), a disfigured recluse who was once a teacher. McLeod agrees to teach Chuck, and the two form a deep friendship -- until Chuck learns of the secret behind McLeod's terrible scars.
