Matthew Modine and Linda Fiorentino star in this coming-of-age underdog story about gentle yet ambitious 18-year-old Spokane, Washington high school senior (Modine) Louden Swain who sets two goals for himself in which nobody seems to be overly enthusiastic about supporting him with. First is to be the number one wrestler in the state of Washington, a feat his father outwardly expresses to be virtually impossible for him; and second to win the affections of a young drifter he has fallen head over heels for named Carla (Fiorentino).