Becoming Redwood (2012) Plot Summary Explained

Redwood, as an eleven-year-old, genuinely believes that winning the 1975 Masters tournament would magically reunite his estranged parents. This stems from a child's magical thinking, a sincere conviction that achieving something remarkable in the adult world can fix his fractured family. The fantasy provides him with hope and a sense of control over circumstances he cannot actually influence.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, radio reports about Nicklaus firing his caddy plant the seed of this unlikely fantasy in Redwood's mind.

• redwood
• jack nicklaus
• masters tournament
• reunited parents
• fantasy

Ethan's legal troubles stem from growing marijuana and selling it to a man known as Jonno. These drug-related charges exist alongside his broader struggle to provide for Redwood while living as a fugitive from U.S. authorities. The criminal activity creates constant tension and uncertainty throughout Redwood's childhood.

• ethan
• drug charges
• marijuana
• jonno
• legal trouble

Jade cannot complete the border crossing with Ethan and young Redwood, though the exact reason is not detailed in the summary. This forces Ethan to continue northward with only his son, beginning their precarious life on the run. The separation sets in motion the fractured family dynamic that drives Redwood's later fantasies about fixing everything through golf.

• jade
• border crossing
• canada
• family separation

Arnold wanted to serve in Vietnam but was disqualified due to a disability, leaving him with unresolved feelings about masculinity and strength. He channels this into forcing his sons, including new stepson Redwood, to adopt traditional masculine values through hunting and tough love. His harshness comes from a desire to mold boys into men, though he shows affection in his own rough way.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes Arnold's Vietnam-era disappointment as the driving force behind his rigid parenting philosophy.

• arnold potter
• vietnam
• disability
• tough love
• hunting

Redwood was raised as a vegetarian, which creates immediate conflict with Arnold's hunting-based family culture. This clash represents Redwood's attachment to his own identity and values against the expectations of his new blended family. The tension between his ethical beliefs and the Potter men's traditions tests his place in the household.

• vegetarianism
• hunting
• family conflict
• identity

Redwood's father won't let him watch TV alone, so Redwood sneaks out at night to glimpse golf commentators and tournaments. These stolen moments fuel his elaborate daytime fantasies about competing at Augusta. The commentators and golf world become imaginary companions in his daydreams about defeating Nicklaus.

• golf
• commentators
• sneaking
• fantasy
• television

In Redwood's vivid imagination, he hires Nicklaus' former caddy to help him compete at the Masters, treating this fantasy as if it were already real. The caddy represents his belief that he has legitimate resources and support for his impossible quest. This detail shows how fully Redwood has constructed his alternate reality around golf glory.

• caddy
• nicklaus
• fantasy
• masters
• redwood

Ethan continues to grow marijuana and sell it to Jonno even after fleeing to Canada, despite knowing it compounds his legal risks. This criminal enterprise is presented as his desperate attempt to survive financially while providing for Redwood. The ongoing drug activity keeps the family in constant danger and instability.

• marijuana
• jonno
• growing
• selling
• ethan

Circumstances force Redwood to leave his father Ethan and reunite with his mother Jade in rural California, where she has built a new life with Arnold Potter and his two sons Josh and Todd. This relocation represents Redwood's transition between two unstable family situations, his fugitive life with Ethan and this new blended family with unfamiliar expectations.

• california
• mother
• arnold
• potter family
• blended family

Earl, portrayed by Scott Hyyslands, is described as an enigmatic figure living in the Potter household basement. While the summary does not detail his role, his presence adds to the quirky, chaotic nature of the blended family Redwood joins. He represents another layer of the unconventional family structure Redwood must navigate.

• earl
• basement
• potter house
• mysterious