在父亲去世后，鲍比（安东·尤金 Anton Yelchin 饰）觉得自己不会再快乐了，尤其是11岁生日那天，他那刻薄而又小气的母亲居然只给了他一张免费的图书卡作为礼物的那一刻。但自从那个名叫泰德（安东尼·霍普金斯 Anthony Hopkins 饰）房客出现在了他的生命中后，一切开始变得不同起来。 　　泰德租下了鲍比家的阁楼，整天躲在里面，不知道在捣鼓什么东西。他雇佣鲍比为他读报，报酬是一星期一美分。母亲告诫鲍比离这个奇怪的老头远一点，但鲍比并不当做一回事，因为在鲍比那里，他找到了久违的快乐和信任，泰德不仅让他得到了友情，还给予了鲍比一个人的成长中不可或缺的珍贵品质。This is a gentle, innocent film about the reflections of an aging man, who returns to his home town after the death of his best friend. Memories of life at age 11 floods back as it was a magical time that changed his life. Three 11 year old children (Bobby, Carol, and Sully) share their lives. Carol and Bobby have a special affection for one another including sharing a kiss "by which all others will be measured". Bobby lives with his mother, a bitter, vain woman who looks for pleasures for herself without sharing much with her son. Into their lives comes a mysterious new boarder, who befriends the boy but generates distrust from the mother. As time passes, the man and boy share confidences and special powers are revealed. The man warns the boy to be on the lookout for the "lowmen", who were seeking him. The two share a summer's adventures and come to love one another before the inevitable happens. A confrontation with a school bully also changes everyone.