Marvin Buckley is lost. His only son has died during combat in Iraq. His wife, desperate for support, has taken to peace demonstrations, something Marvin cannot cope with because of his own past as a Vietnam veteran. This is Marvin's life as he returns to teaching high school chemistry. When an Arab-American student enters Marvin's classroom things fall apart. Convinced that this new student is a terrorist, Marvin sacrifices his wife, job, and sanity to confront the disturbing truth of his own son's death.