Teenage Kelly McAllister's frustration and disillusionment with her girlfriends, parents and dull home town come to a head when she is assigned to write a contemporary issue paper. She attempts to make a connection with her town's only homeless person, a Viet Nam veteran who no one but Kelly seems to notice. As she struggles to reach this quiet and troubled stranger, Kelly learns about the lasting impact of war on people's lives, including her own father's.