When Danny witnesses his stepfather Rick murder a man, Danny's father Frank has to protect his son from the greatest danger.
Susan Morrison is getting married to wealthy industrialist Rick Barnes. Danny, her teenage son with ex-husband Frank, isn't happy about this; he stows away in Rick's car one night, planning to go to Frank's house. But while there, he witnesses Rick murdering mysterious stranger Ray Coleman. Problem is, Rick's managed to dispose of most of the evidence, and he's considered a pillar of the community, while Danny has a history of lying. Frank believes him, though, and does some investigating of his own, as Rick's shady past slowly catches up to him and his new family.—Jon Reeves <[email protected]>
Now that his former wife, Susan, is about to marry the well-off entrepreneur, Rick Barnes, the divorced custom boat builder, Frank Morrison, who tries his best to be a good father, seems unable to cope with the problems of his misbehaving twelve-year-old son, Danny. As the wedding day approaches, Frank keeps encouraging his boy to make it work; however, he, too, senses that there is more to the small community's new model citizen than meets the eye. And then, out of the blue, Danny comes with a startling revelation about his future father, claiming that he is not who he appears to be. But, who believes the boy who cried wolf?—Nick Riganas
In Southport, Maryland, Susan Morrison (Teri Polo), recently divorced from her husband Frank (John Travolta), a struggling boat builder. Due to the dwindling business, Frank has to sell his new boats for a bargain, which is unsustainable to keep the business going on for too long.Susan is marrying a younger and wealthier man, Rick Barnes (Vince Vaughn). Danny (Matt O'Leary), Susan and Frank's twelve-year-old son, is clearly unhappy that his mother is remarrying. Susan asks Frank to allow Rick to go sailing with him and Danny, to help Danny bond with and accept Rick as a stepfather.
Rick invested in the stock of a Pharma company that came out with a new drug for Blood Pressure control. The stock went through the roof and Rick got rich and decided to do something else with his life. Rick has just purchased a new resort and wants Frank to build him some boats for his resort.
Danny is having trouble accepting the new reality and is in constant trouble with the law due to his acting out and trying to attract attention on account of petty theft and driving car (without license). This is Danny's way to get his parents back together. Frank explains to Danny that he and Susan argued all the time and they are probably never going to get back together, and Danny should learn to move on with his life.Frank is dating Diane (Susan Floyd), who believes that Frank is trying to hold on to Susan.
Rick and Susan get married. Ray claims to be an ex-business associate of Rick and attends the wedding unannounced. Rick then sees Ray talking to Frank on several occasion at the wedding and even after that. Rick had asked Ray to stay at a motel outside of town and confronts him. Turns out Rick and 3 partners had done some business together, but Rick ran away with all their money. Only Ray managed to track him down on the basis of a conversation they had several years ago. And then, Rick's wedding announcement made the papers.Rick says that he needs time to arrange Ray's money and asks him to stay out of town.
After the wedding, Danny and Rick play a game of catch, where Rick clearly becomes agitated with Danny's ambivalent playing style and starts criticizing him harshly. In frustration Danny throws a ball through the mansion window after Rick goes into the house. Danny is also angry that Frank accepted a job to build boats for Rick. Frank accepts that he loves building boats, but people don't want them anymore. So, the business from Rick will keep the workshop going for at least a few more years. Rick is about to receive the Southport Man of the Year award.
The revelation that Susan and Rick are having a baby worsens the situation.After finding out about the baby, Danny stows away in Rick's Chevy Suburban, planning to drop off it on route and visit his father. Danny feels that after the baby Susan's feelings towards him will change. But while Danny is inside, he sees Rick murdering mysterious stranger Ray Coleman (Steve Buscemi). Rick picks up Ray at the motel and after taking him to an isolated location, he stabs Ray in the back inside his Suburban. Rick then takes the body to a factory and throws it in a gas furnace. Danny manages to get out of the car at the factory when Rick was distracted.
Danny reports the murder to his father and to the local police led by detective Edgar (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) and detective Warren (Chris Ellis). Rick, however, has managed to dispose of most of the evidence, and is widely considered a pillar of the local community as he invested his money in the area, whereas Danny has a history of lying and misdemeanors. Susan also believes that Danny is simply acting out, which he always does when he is faced with a situation that he cannot handle.Frank believes his son, though, stemming from Rick's notable unease around Ray at the ceremony and the fact that Danny never lies to him.
Frank does some investigating of his own and unearths Rick's criminal past, which now stands to put his son and ex-wife at risk. Frank learns that Rick's true identity is Jack Parnell, a criminal who was acquitted while his partners, Ray among them, were convicted because he framed them all for the crime. Ray had planned to get revenge on Jack by exposing him at the wedding.Jack tries to kill Frank by setting his boathouse on fire, but Frank manages to escape and expose Jack's true identity to the police, who begin heading for Susan's house.
At the house, Susan also realizes the truth when she sees a large burn on Jack's arm, having heard about the fire at the boathouse minutes earlier. She tries to escape with Danny, but Jack knocks her out and takes Danny as a hostage, intending to flee.
Frank arrives to confront Jack, and they both engage in a vicious fight, ending when a tied-up Danny pushes Jack into a fuse box, electrocuting and killing him. Susan has no serious physical injury from the conflict, aside from suffering a miscarriage.
The police apologize to both Danny and Frank for not believing them about Jack, and the reunited father and son follow Susan as she is taken to the hospital via ambulance.
