The Mighty

A 12-year-old Kevin Dillon, who has Morquio syndrome, is assigned as the reading tutor for 14-year-old Max Kane. They struggle at first but quickly form a bond as they spend time together. The tutoring arrangement lays the groundwork for their lifelong friendship and adventures.

At a festival, Blade's gang ambushes Kevin and Max. They escape by fleeing into a lake, with Kevin riding on Max's shoulders. The terrifying moment marks the start of their partnership and shared resilience.

From that day forward, Max carries Kevin on his shoulders during their adventures. This mobility allows Kevin to participate in activities he could not before, including school events. The two boys become inseparable partners, gaining acceptance among peers.

During a visit to a museum, Kevin uses Sir Galahad's sword to knight them as Freak the Mighty. The moment cements their nickname and identity in their circle. Their bond is celebrated in this public, playful symbol of their alliance.

Blade's gang steals a woman's purse and is thwarted by Kevin and Max when they retrieve it. They return the purse to Loretta Lee, an old friend of Max's father. Loretta's past connections hint at deeper family secrets that will matter later.

During Kenny Kane's trial, Loretta calls Max 'mute boy' for his decades-long silence in her testimony. Kevin consoles him, reminding him that their fathers' sins do not define who they are. This memory strengthens their resolve to stand together against the past.

Kenny Kane is released on parole and abducts Max, taking him to Iggy and Loretta's apartment. Max is bound and Loretta tries to help him escape, but the scene triggers memories of Kenny's role in his mother's death. The danger heightens the stakes for both boys.

Kevin arrives to help and sprays Kenny with a squirt gun loaded with pretend sulfuric acid. The blinding distraction enables Max to break free and the two manage to get away as the police close in. The climactic struggle ends with Kenny's capture.

Kenny is taken back to prison, and Max and Kevin return home for Christmas dinner with Gwen, Grim, and Gram. Kevin gives Max a blank book and tells him to write their adventures, a symbolic gift for their friendship. The moment marks a bittersweet victory and a commitment to memory.

That night, Kevin dies in his sleep due to heart problems. The next morning, Max learns about Kevin's talk of biogenic transplantation, only to realize the mysterious lab is actually a laundromat. He chases the ambulance barefoot, overwhelmed by grief and the odd revelation.

In the weeks after, Max returns to school but spends much of his spare time locked in the basement, missing Kevin's presence and his funeral. Gwen moves away, and the absence of Kevin's guidance weighs on him. Loretta's earlier words echo as a spark to continue living.

Max encounters Loretta at a bus stop, who tells him that 'doing nothing's a drag, kid.' The blunt advice sticks with him and helps him find the courage to engage with life again. The simple conversation rekindles his sense of purpose.

Inspired by Kevin's memory, Max begins writing all their adventures into the blank book Kevin gave him. He experiences writer's block on the last page but keeps the story alive in his heart, honoring Kevin's influence in his life. He also sketches the Arthurian legend as a personal closing motif.

Max winds Kevin's ornithopter and watches it fly, a hopeful symbol of Kevin's lasting impact. The scene closes the story with a sense of resilience, memory, and the ongoing legend of Freak the Mighty.