Sixteen-year-old black boy James Wallace (Rob Brown) is extremely talented in basketball and has great potential to become a rising star in the basketball world. He often plays basketball with his friends, and they notice that the silent man who lives on the top floor of the opposite apartment always looks at them. The mysterious hermit turned out to be the well-known writer William Forrest (Sean Connery). An accidental prank allowed the two to get to know each other, and William discovered that he was also talented in writing. Soon, James was invited to a famous private school with his outstanding basketball skills and excellent grades. However, for a white school, James faced difficult choices and various doubts. William agreed to help James improve his writing skills. Gradually, the two established a deep friendship in their exchanges. William, who was patient and persuasive, inspired James's hidden writing talent, and William himself began to change, and finally walked out of the secluded apartment where he had been secluded for many years.