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Logline:

A teenage boy's family is torn apart after his brother is declared missing in action during the Vietnam War, so he sets out early one morning on a journey of self-discovery and ends the day with a much greater understanding of the world.

Synopsis:

The sun rises over the hillside of a nostalgic 1960s suburban neighborhood. A classic ford pickup truck comes racing into view and screeches to a halt outside the house of James "Jim" Reed. The driver beeps and Jim hops out of bed in a daze scrambling to find his things among a landfill room and heads out for the beach. Jimmy gets in the truck and we meet is lovable but absentminded friend Rivers behind the wheel. A fun montage scene ensues as they ride to the beach with a hit 1960s song playing in the background. The beach is packed when they arrive. Everyone is there enjoying the summer. Jim's attention is drawn to a Little Surfer Girl on the shore, but she disappears before he can get a good look. All Jim can do the rest of the afternoon is think about the girl he saw.  After the beach, they go to a drive-in restaurant and local hangout for the kids in town. Jim and Rivers meet up with some classmates who discuss their plans for the night. They talk about going to a party then crashing the "End of the Summer" dance at a rival high school. Jim foolishly agrees to come along hoping that he might somehow find his Little Surfer Girl at the dance.

 Jim is hesitant to go home and soon after he steps inside we find out why. For the past two years Jim's older brother Danny has been missing in action.  Jim's parents now live in a bubble refusing to acknowledge the possibility that their son might not be coming back. After a heated argument at the dinner table Jim storms upstairs, sneaks out of his bedroom window, and takes off down the road. He meets up with the guys that he made plans with earlier and they drive a short distance to a house party.  Jim and Rivers spend sometime on the roof while the party rages on. They talk about their insecurities and future plans. Later, they return to the party and Jim's ex-girlfriend who spent most of the summer away arrives. Jim is unsure of his feelings towards her, but grows angry at her blatant attempt to make him jealous with another guy. He rushes out of the party and wanders to the beach where he sits alone. The waves crashing onto shore remind him of the Little Surfer Girl. His sadness turns to excitement when he decides to continue with his mission to the "End of the Summer" dance.

Jim shows up at the rival school's dance, but his ambition quickly turns to embarrassment. He walks home defeated only to find his father waiting up for him. What begins as a typical argument between two rivals—ends up an emotional breakthrough between father and son. They are able to discuss their fears and resolve their differences, but after all this Jim still can't sleep. The sun once again begins to rise over the hillside. He jumps out of bed, grabs his things, and heads for the beach. This time when he arrives no one is there. He spends most the morning surfing the waves alone. Jim takes a short break and falls back into the sand. His eyes drift down the shoreline watching the waves crash. The Little Surfer Girl enters view. She is sitting on her long-board floating gracefully in the water. Jim snatches his surfboard from the sand, runs down to the ocean, and paddles his way out to her.