Seventeen year old Steve Novak has it all - a new car, a lovely girl friend, a good relationship with his parents, and a decent shot at the All State Wrestling Championship. But it's not enough. Inside himself he finds himself yearning for more. As a result, he involves himself with an impoverished black family and sells his convertible to help them out. This upsets his father. When he promises to take one of the black kids mountain climbing the weekend before his championship match, both his father and his coach descend on him. He pleads for their understanding, but states his determination to keep his promise. At the top of the mountain with his friends, he experiences a moment of exultation that can only be called mystical.