Eddie Palmer is a former high-school football star and ex-felon who has been released from prison after serving 12 years for attempted murder and armed robbery. He moves in with his grandmother Vivian, who occasionally watches over a young, feminine boy named Sam, the son of her neighbor Shelly, a drug addict. Palmer begins working at the local school as a janitor and helps Vivian watch Sam, as Shelly repeatedly leaves town with her abusive boyfriend Jerry. After Vivian passes away, Palmer is forced to become Sam's temporary guardian until Shelly returns. Although he initially does not want anything to do with Sam, Palmer soon bonds with the boy, as he takes him to a football game at his old high school, to get a
root beer float, gets him a ukulele for his birthday and teaches him how to play it, and takes Sam to a bowling fundraiser, where he strikes up a relationship with Sam’s teacher, Maggie. Palmer finds out that Vivian left her house to the church in her will, and her lawyer tells him that once the house sells, he will have 30 days to move out. As Palmer grows closer to Maggie, he reveals to her that after a promising high school football career, he was injured in a game while playing for
Louisiana State University. After losing his scholarship and dropping out of college, he returned home and became addicted to pills. One night, he decided to rob the safe of a rich family in town with the help of his friends. The house was supposed to be empty, but the owner came home and Palmer beat him nearly to death with a baseball bat. Maggie reassures Palmer that although that is who he was, he has changed and is a good man now, pointing to all the good he has done in Sam's life. They kiss and have sex. One day, Sam comes home from a friend's house crying, with makeup garishly smeared on his face. Palmer assumes that the class bully, Toby, did it, but Sam tells him that it was Daryl, Toby’s father and a friend of Palmer's. Enraged, Palmer finds Daryl at a bar and beats him up. The next day, Shelly returns and takes Sam home. When Palmer drops Sam off at school, Sam tells him that Shelly and he are moving in with Jerry. Later that day, however, Sam is taken by
Child protective services. Palmer attempts to receive full guardianship of Sam, but is denied due to his parole status and the uncertainty of his living situation. Despite Palmer's pleas, the judge orders the return of Sam to Shelly's custody. Palmer asks Shelly to appoint him Sam's legal guardian, but she scoffs at his request, even after he offers to pay her. Later, Palmer witnesses Jerry physically abusing both Shelly and Sam. Palmer intervenes and sees that both Shelly and Jerry are using drugs in front of Sam. He attacks Jerry and flees with Sam. Shelly calls the police, and Palmer is accused of kidnapping Sam. After talking with Maggie on the phone, he brings Sam back to Shelly and is arrested at the scene. As Palmer is driven away, Sam tries to fight off the police officers and chases after the police car, crying that he wants to be with Palmer instead of his mother. Seeing Sam's love for Palmer, Shelly refuses to press charges and covers for Palmer by saying he was just taking Sam to get food, and she forgot. Shelly meets with Sam and through tears, asks him if it would be okay if he went to live with Palmer. Shelly eventually chooses to give Palmer custody of Sam. Palmer and Sam prepare for the sale of Vivian's house as they move in with Maggie. == Cast ==