Sentimental drama turns soft-headed rather than soft-hearted. In 1974, John (Morgan) is a teenager living in Port Chester, New York. He's an admirer of reclusive landscape artist Nicolai Seroff (Mueller Stahl) and pesters the old man until he agrees to tutor John at his Pennsylvania summer home. At first, John is merely household help but Seroff eventually works with him on his paintings amidst various artistic discussions that tend to stop the story cold.