1969

Two boys, Ralph and Scott, hitchhike home from college and arrive on Easter morning. They shout greetings across the glen to their families during a lakeside Easter Sunrise service. The moment amuses Ralph's younger sister Beth and their mother Ev, while embarrassing Scott's mother Jessie and father Cliff.

Later that day, Ralph and Scott drive Alden to the bus depot as he ships off to Vietnam. Alden and Scott clash when Scott accuses the Marine of being afraid to go. Their father arrives, perplexed by the confrontation and wondering what is really going on.

A few weeks pass and Ralph returns for Beth's high school graduation, learning that he has flunked out of college, making him eligible for the draft. The boys realize the summer could offer a chance to live freely on the road. They decide to lean into the counterculture and hit the road in their van.

They abandon normal life to spend the summer living out of their van, chasing the sense of freedom the counterculture promises. They travel through towns, meet people, and test the boundaries of authority and tradition. The road becomes their classroom and playground.

The friends return to their hometown in the midst of its summer festival, only to learn that Alden has disappeared and is considered MIA. The town buzzes with rumors as the family awaits news. Ralph and Scott sense the weight of the war pressing closer.

Ralph and Scott hatch a plan to steal their draft files from the local draft board office. They are caught in the act, and Ralph is arrested. The incident marks a turning point as the war looms over their youth.

With Ralph behind bars, Scott becomes determined to avoid the draft by heading to Canada. He invites Beth to join him and to stay away until the end of the war. The plan tests their friendships and their loyalties.

During their bid for freedom, Beth and Scott acknowledge their deeper attraction and share a moment of intimacy in the van. The act complicates their relationships with Ralph and with Beth's family.

They visit Ralph in jail to tell him they are leaving, but Ralph responds with sarcasm and reveals he actually wants to go to Vietnam. He disowns Scott and ignores Beth, severing the last link of their trio.

Scott and Beth reach the Canada–US border and are about to cross, but they hesitate and decide to return home to Maryland. The return signals a shift in priorities as war pressure intensifies.

Back home, the family learns that Alden has died in the line of duty. His death casts a pall over the town and reverberates through every family touched by the war.

Scott leads a huge march downtown in the midst of Alden's funeral, expressing public protest and personal grief. Ralph is released from jail, and the two friends are reunited. The moment links grief with a broader antiwar sentiment.

The film closes with Scott's narration, describing how his family and friends later join hundreds of thousands heading toward Washington, D.C. to protest the Vietnam War. The journey symbolizes a generational shift and a collective call to action.