Youth in Revolt

Nick Twisp, a 14-year-old prodigy from Oakland, navigates the everyday rhythms of teenage life with his best friend Leroy and his divorced parents. He observes family dynamics and his own rising intelligence shaping his worldview. This is the grounded start before the eruptions of later adventures.

Anarchy begins with Jerry selling a Chevy Nova to sailors, who soon face car trouble and seek revenge. In response, the family worries about safety as the trouble escalates. To escape, Jerry arranges a vacation, sending them all to Clearlake.

The family arrives at a religious mobile home camp in Clearlake, a resort town, for a holiday trip. The atmosphere contrasts with Nick's usual life and sets the stage for new encounters. It is here that Nick first spots Sheridan 'Sheeni' Saunders and the change begins.

Nick meets Sheeni and is immediately drawn to her. He hatches plots to win her attention, pulling him into a web of mischief that foreshadows bigger trouble. This budding romance becomes the catalyst for Nick's reckless actions.

In his bid to win Sheeni, Nick begins a spree of offenses, including arson and grand theft auto, among other misdeeds. His escalating misdeeds draw police attention and turn his life into near-constant danger. The line between clever schemes and real crime starts to blur.

Facing pursuit, Nick fools the authorities by pretending he has gone to India, using the ruse to slip away. He hides from the law while maintaining the illusion and plotting his next moves. The chase forces him deeper into a life on the run.

With his sister Joanie and a friend, Frank 'Fuzzy' DeFalco, Nick heads to Ukiah to lay low. He adopts the alias Carlotta, dressing in his late grandmother's clothes to craft a conservative persona. In this disguise, he begins reconnecting with Sheeni and old acquaintances.

Under the Carlotta guise, Nick re-enters social circles and slowly rekindles friendships, including with Sheeni. The disguise gives him cover but also complicates relationships as he grows closer to those he knows. He starts to navigate this new chapter with a delicate balance of deception and charm.

On Christmas Eve, Nick spends the night with Sheeni, and she reveals she has known all along that he is Nick, not Carlotta. They decide to pursue a secret relationship despite the risks. This revelation marks a turning point, sealing their bond.

Nick unexpectedly inherits a fortune when Joanie's elderly neighbor includes him in her will. After the neighbor dies, Nick briefly becomes half a million dollars richer. The windfall looks like a new beginning, until trouble closes in.

Nick's fortune is seized by his mother's boyfriend, a corrupt police officer, depriving him of the money. The loss hits hard and underscores how fragile his new wealth can be. He is pushed toward further instability.

Facing homelessness after losing the money and his squatted home, Nick's fortunes take another turn when his 'wart watch' idea catches fire. The invention suddenly makes him rich beyond belief. The cycle of gain and loss continues as he rides this unexpected windfall.

With wealth restored by the wart watch success and his secret romance with Sheeni continuing, Nick's life moves toward an uncertain, adulthood-tinged future. The film closes on the note of a clever teen stepping into a larger world. His journey from clever boy to young man has only just begun.