A young Southern man with a troubled family life, Glenn Tyler (Elvis Presley) is forced to go on probation after a big brawl with his brother. Working with lovely counselor Irene Sperry (Hope Lange), Glenn tries to get his life back on track and decides that he wants to be a writer. Problems arise when the nosy citizens of his tiny town think that Glenn is involved with Irene, even though he has been pursuing romance with girls his own age, including Betty Lee Parsons (Millie Perkins).
