In 1980
Queens, New York City, on his first day in sixth grade,
Jewish-American Paul Graff becomes friends with a rebellious
African-American classmate, Johnny Davis. Johnny was held back by a year and gets harsher treatment from their teacher when they both joke around in class. Paul often disassociates from his schoolwork and draws pictures instead. Paul lives with his financially stable family. He is close with his maternal grandfather, Aaron Rabinowitz, who encourages him to pursue his aspiration to become an artist. His well-meaning but strict parents, Esther and Irving, are less convinced of Paul's career prospects as an artist. At night, Aaron tells Paul the story of how Aaron's mother escaped
antisemitic persecution in
Ukraine, fleeing to
London before eventually emigrating to the U.S. with Aaron and her British husband. One day, Paul and Johnny are caught smoking a
joint in the restrooms, unaware that it's an illegal drug. Furious, Esther allows Irving to beat Paul as punishment. In the hope that he becomes more disciplined, Paul is sent to the
Forest Manor Prep private school by his parents, where his older brother Ted is studying. Meanwhile, Johnny stops going to school after being relegated to special education. Forest Manor is financially supported by famous businessman
Fred Trump, who also supports
Ronald Reagan in the upcoming
presidential election. Many of the students are also Reagan supporters. On Paul's first day, Fred's daughter
Maryanne, one of the school's famous alumni, gives a speech to the students about working to earn their success. Paul sees the school's advantages over his previous school but doesn't feel welcome. He is also unnerved by other students' racist comments when Johnny meets with him during recess. Johnny begins living in secret at Paul's clubhouse, having nowhere to go other than living with his sick grandmother, where
foster system workers searching for Johnny have begun to visit regularly. While playing at the park on the weekend, Paul tells Aaron of his struggles at school and how he did nothing when he witnessed racism. Aaron encourages Paul to stand up against prejudice when he sees it, reminding him that while antisemitism still covertly persists, he and his family still have the privilege of being white. Shortly after, Aaron dies of bone cancer, with the family mourning his loss. Tired of living under high expectations from family and school, as well as the unfair treatment of Johnny, Paul convinces Johnny to steal a computer from school and sell it so they can run away together. After stealing the computer, they are arrested for trying to pawn it. While being interrogated, Paul confesses that it was all his plan. But knowing that he has no options in life, Johnny takes the blame to let Paul go, much to Paul's dismay. Paul and Johnny bid farewell, as Irving arrives to take him home with no consequences because Irving once did the interrogating officer a favor. At home, Irving confesses to Paul that he is sympathetic to his frustration with America's unfair racial inequality, but tells him that they need to survive to have a good life. The two agree to not tell Esther what happened, as she is still mourning her father. Days later, the Graff family are disappointed by Reagan's victory in the election, while Paul is focused on schoolwork. During a
Thanksgiving dance at school, Fred Trump addresses the students, expressing hope that they'll become the next successful elite. A disillusioned Paul leaves during the speech. ==Cast==