Charlie Brenner [Freddie Highmore] is a seemingly unmotivated young man who has returned home after dropping out of college. He lives with his mother, his stepfather Ross [Gary Ray Moore], and his brother Steven, and works as the assistant manager at a small movie theatre, living vicariously through his best friend Ben [Haley Joel Osment].
His life takes an unpredictable turn when he finds himself falling for local coffee shop barista Amber [Odeya Rush]. His friend Heather [Rita Volk] picks him up in the evening, and tries to convince him to join an upcoming party with their old high school classmates. Amber is dissatisfied with her life. Living with her mooching cousin Jack [Jake Abel], with a long-time, track star boyfriend Brad [Taylor John Smith], she has steadfast plans to go to NYU in the fall.
Charlie and Heather head to the party. Sharing the elevator on the way up with Amber and Brad, Heather loudly outs Charlie about his inability to ask out the barista he is almost stalking. Amber later approaches Charlie, but they talk only briefly before Brad convinces her to leave.
Then Charlie's estranged father Howard [ Christopher Meloni] unexpectedly re-enters his life, convincing him to let him stay. Against his mother's protests, Charlie lets Howard sleep in his room.
Although initially brushing Charlie off when he stops by the café, Amber later suggests he walk with her the next day. They get to know each other, and he finds out she lives with Jack as her parents moved to Florida, and she wanted to finish her senior year here. And she has been with Brad through most of high school.
Charlie gives Amber his number, so she ends up calling. Not wanting to be alone, as she has just found out she is pregnant, she goes to his house for dinner. There Amber learns of Charlie's initial success with cooking, then his father and Ross end up arguing. After Charlie and Steven play around, she inexplicably gets upset.
Amber and Charlie go outside, and she tells him about taking a pregnancy test, although she lies about the result. She says it made her feel like her whole life flashed before her eyes.
At a party for Ben, Charlie is forced to use the ladies' room, where he overhears Amber telling her friend that she sees him as lost and could never see herself with him. Upset, he leaves the party.
Days pass and, as Amber has not heard from Charlie for a while, she shows up at his house. He reveals he had overheard her telling her friend about him negatively. After they suddenly start making out, his father interrupts, so they go out to Steven's playhouse.
Charlie explains that a traumatic traffic accident he was involved in threw him off course after his junior year.
After Amber tells Charlie they can no longer be friends, he and Steven get lured out of the house by Howard, who clears the house of its furniture. Fired up with frustration, Charlie approaches Brad after track practice and challenges him to race. Brad unexpectedly doubles over in pain, as his leg is damaged.
Charlie ends up seeing Amber in the hospital, and explains he was being an asshole with Brad. Soon afterwards, Brad confronts her about Charlie and they break up.
In the meantime, Charlie drives down to a hotel in New Orleans his father had mentioned. Discovering most of the stolen furniture is in storage, Charlie gets the police involved, so it is returned to his mother's. While there, Howard tells him two secrets he had unearthed: Amber's abortion and Ben's passed bar confirmation.
Returning home, Charlie finally finds the path forward. He contacts a NYC chef who had once shown an interest, getting an assistant chef position, then moves with Ben to the city as he finally knows who he wants to be.
