In the real world, you can’t always do as you please; compromises are necessary. However, Mark Blazey is determined to avoid this reality. At seventeen, Mark is an intelligent young man from a tumultuous family, residing in a semi-industrial coastal town. He has recently rejected a scholarship to a private school, opting instead for the local high school. There, he becomes the target of an authoritarian principal who exerts control over everything. At home, Mark faces a brother on the verge of imprisonment, a grandmother battling for her life, and a mother whose temper is kept in check by boxed wine. He feels a strong urge to protect his younger sister. When Mark experiences his first true romance, he seeks to escape the pressures of his life with her. However, his love interest is the daughter of his adversary, the school principal. This leads to escalating conflicts between student and teacher, and between son and mother.