Leap of Faith

Jonas Nightengale and his manager Jane Larson roll into Rustwater, Kansas, a drought-stricken town. With a four-day delay for replacement parts for their truck, they decide to stage revival meetings to raise money. The plan turns the show into a temporary lifeline for the town and for their own finances.

To keep the show going, they present acts that mimic divine knowledge and healing. The crowd, hungry for relief from the drought, responds with enthusiasm and generosity. The donations swell as the illusion feeds hope.

Sheriff Will Braverman grows skeptical and starts digging into Jonas's past. He uncovers Jonas's true name, Jack Newton, and his troubled history in New York City. He shares this information with the townspeople, fueling doubt and tension.

Braverman's findings reach the revival crowd, and Jonas storms off the stage. He returns shortly after and reframes the report to sharpen the audience's energy, turning controversy into a fresh wave of belief. The crowd grows more energized and hopeful.

Over the next several days, Jane and Braverman develop feelings for each other, complicating loyalties within the revival. The show continues as Jonas navigates a mix of skepticism, attraction, and the crowd's hunger for miracles. The town remains hopeful despite the questions about Jonas's past.

Jonas meets Marva, a diner waitress, whose brother Boyd is crippled with a psychosomatic condition. The possibility of healing creates a new focal point for the revival's power and for Boyd's desire to walk again. townsfolk watch with a rising sense of stake in the outcome.

During a meeting, Boyd walks to the feet of Jesus on the crucifix, drops his crutches, and begins to walk unassisted. The crowd erupts in awe, and Jonas's doubts begin to waver as he faces the apparent real miracle before him. The line between performance and faith blurs.

After the night’s spectacle, Jonas rails against being a con man, but Boyd's miracle makes him admit that something real could be happening. The event forces him to reconsider the source of the crowd’s faith. The man who ran the show must now confront what faith truly means.

Boyd asks Jonas to join him on the road, signaling a potential new path for both of them. Jonas agrees to meet Boyd the next morning, suggesting a turning point in his ministry. Marva then arrives, thanks Jonas, and sends Boyd out of the tent with a message for the next day.

Jonas packs a bag and departs alone in the dark, hitching a ride with a truck driver bound for Pensacola, Florida. He tells the driver that, for the first time in his life, he is not in trouble. A crowd outside the tent prays and nods in quiet belief, a testament to Boyd's impact.

The drought threatening Rustwater's crops ends dramatically with a miraculous downpour. Jonas laughs as he realizes that Boyd's faith—and the belief that sustained it—may be real after all. He rides off into the stormy evening, thanking Jesus for the rain.

The film closes with Jonas continuing his journey, no longer certain only of tricks but carrying a new sense that real faith may exist beyond the show. He travels on, leaving Rustwater behind and facing the road with a wary, hopeful heart. The ending suggests miracles come with costs and choices.