Kevin Dillon (Kieran Culkin) suffers from a disorder known as Morquio's syndrome, which weakens his heart and stunts his growth. Maxwell Kane (Elden Henson) has dyslexia and towers above his classmates. The two couldn't be more different, but, when Kevin is asked to help Maxwell with his reading, they soon bond over their mutual social alienation and absent fathers. Following a run-in with local gang member Blade (Joe Perrino), the two become inseparable.