Jesse Tucker's (James Walters) rebellious ways eventually land him in the Benedict Home for Boys in a sleepy Texas town in the '50s. But when Jack Cabe (John Travolta) breezes in as the new music teacher, he introduces Jesse and the boys to the fresh and dangerous new sounds of rock 'n' roll. Cabe encourages Jesse to redirect his emotions into music, and to trust his love for Sara (Heather Graham), the beautiful young daughter of the repressive headmaster (Richard Jordan). First-time romance and no-frills rock music form the core of this moving story set during the birth of rock 'n' roll.