When macho musician, Jake, kidnaps his abandoned 5-year-old son, Roger, to save him from callous grandparents, they hide in a secluded seaside house where they bond, grow, and change. Eventually, Roger is found and removed. Jake’s only hope to keep Roger is to convince Roger’s newly married mother that he and his diverse family of eccentric friends can safely raise Roger together.

SYNOPSIS:

Julie, in her twenties, tearfully says goodbye to her sleeping four-year-old son, Roger. She leaves the house, gets into a man’s car, and they drive away.

Jake, a charming yet self-centered 25-year-old musician, has a son, Roger, with Julie, a woman to whom he is not married.

One day, Jake receives a call from his mother, informing him that Julie has left, abandoning Roger. Julie's parents have called, claiming custody. Despite the great inconvenience, Jake has to return home, but he must return in two days for a concert or risk losing his place in the group.

When Jake arrives in Vermont, Roger is glad to see him, but Jake is eager to hand Roger over to Julie's parents so he can return to his group. However, upon meeting Julie's parents, Jake is appalled by their banal lifestyle and cannot bear the thought of Roger growing up under their care. That night, he reconsiders and decides to kidnap Roger and run away with him.

Back in Boston, Jake learns that he has lost his place in the group, and his apartment is under police surveillance. He has no choice but to seek help from his friends: Barbara, a black dancer in her thirties, and Dale, another of his ex-girlfriends in her twenties.

Struggling to manage the situation, Jake finally turns to his manager, Rob, who is in his twenties and owns a house on Cape Cod. Rob hires Jake to take care of the house for the winter. Roger and Jake lead an idyllic life, growing and changing together. However, as spring approaches, Roger grows restless, missing his mother and other children to play with.

One weekend, Dale, Barbara, and Rob visit. They each, in their own way, try to persuade Jake to return to Boston, deal with Roger's custody openly, and get back into a productive life. As the weekend draws to a close, Marshals arrive, having finally tracked Jake down, and they demand custody of Roger.

Back in Boston, Jake struggles with the bureaucratic court system to retain custody. He finds Julie, now married, and pleads with her to let him keep Roger. Julie considers Jake's request, conditional upon his ability to provide a stable environment for Roger.

Jake, unsure of what to do, calls his closest friends together and asks if they will be Roger's family with him. They agree, and Jake returns to Julie, who is initially shocked by the idea. However, she relents after seeing drawings Roger has sent her depicting his happy life with Jake.

The final scene is at Cape Cod, with the unconventional "family" playing at the beach.