15-year-old Joshua narrates the film at the beginning, at the end, and occasionally in between. He says he is looking for a place to fit in, and while the place is not important, he is on the Pacific Coast.Joshua is shown painting a mission in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. A man thinks he has done a wonderful job and asks how much. Joshua says $50. Then the real painter yells at Joshua and tells the potential buyer he actually did the painting.Joshua runs away and at the motel where he is staying, the manager knocks on the door saying he hasn't been paid. It is revealed later that Joshua's mother Brynn abandoned him there. Joshua claims he is coming out with money and sneaks out the back.Vanessa, a case worker, later joins the manager to go in the room and investigate. They are amazed at the quality of the art work on the wall and the ceiling.Joshua sees Amber through a fence at her school. They start a conversation. One of the teachers demands that Amber go back to class and tells Joshua he should be in school. When he grabs Amber roughly, Joshua comes to her defense. Thinking Joshua is hurting his sister, Ryan starts a fight with Joshua, who soon leaves.After being washed down a drain into the water, Joshua needs a better place to find shelter, and he finds it. A large mansion nearby is unlocked. Joshua cleans himself up and makes himself a meal, then he changes into clothes he finds and explores further. He finds an unfinished art work, which is actually a copy of a famous painting, and adds to it. Later he gets in bed.Joshua is waked up by the police. The mansion belongs to wealthy artist Everly Campbell. After Joshua is taken away, Campbell and his employee Bernie see that someone has done more work on the painting Campbell was working on. Impressed by the work, Campbell agrees to let Joshua stay with him and to train him to become a real artist. Campbell also wants to help because he also had trouble like Joshua when he was young. This means convincing Vanessa to let him do something that is not normally done, but Campbell tells her he plays golf with a judge who can approve the arrangement.Campbell takes Joshua to a charity event, where he meets Anne-Marie, an older and somewhat eccentric woman whose wealth is a mystery. It is known that she is important in the art world, but that is about all. Ryan is at the event and he apologizes to Joshua. They become friends, and Joshua later pursues a relationship with Amber. Learning Anne-Marie is rich, Joshua breaks into her house but she catches him and asks Campbell to come get him.Campbell begins training Joshua to become a forger but doesn't make clear exactly what he is doing. A rich man named Amir wants to buy the painting Joshua was working on.While walking on the beach, Joshua finds a large black dog. Its name is Matilda and it belongs to Anne-Marie. When he brings her dog back home, Anne-Marie is appreciative and they have a nice visit. Anne-Marie also offers Joshua a place to stay if he needs it.At another event, Campbell brings the painting Joshua worked on and has art expert Pinkus verify it is authentic. Pinkus is convinced, so Amir buys it. Campbell tells Amir he has a rare Winslow Homer that was believed lost, but after a great deal of effort, he has found it. Amir will pay a lot of money if it is verified to be the real thing. And Campbell really needs the money. He will lose his art galleries and maybe even his mansion if he can't find sources of income.Campbell becomes concerned later when he can't find Joshua, but he is spending time with Amber. Vanessa is unsure whether to continue their arrangement. Early in their relationship, Joshua kisses Amber and she objects. Later at her house, she teaches him to kiss.Vanessa asks Sasha about Brynn. Sasha denies knowing anything but Vanessa has evidence that they have spent time together recently and that they were both strippers.Campbell continues to teach Joshua, believing Joshua can make a living as a forger. He is very demanding. Joshua is working on the Winslow Homer forgery and by this time, Campbell has made it clear what his intention is. Campbell teaches Joshua all the techniques that must be followed to fool even experts--including experts with infrared technology.Joshua goes to a party he wasn't invited to and is shocked to see Amber with a good-looking guy. Joshua and Ryan get into a fight. Joshua visits Anne-Marie again.Vanessa visits Brynn, who behaves erratically and apparently has another son. After calling for a "black and white" Vanessa goes back to her office and finds out more about Joshua and Anne-Marie.Joshua decides he can't go through with the plan for the Winslow Homer and hides the painting in a safe place. This makes Campbell angry.After being told Anne-Marie has a dark secret, Joshua goes to her house and looks around, finding evidence that she was a forger.Vanessa visits Joshua and claims she couldn't find his mother, which makes Joshua cry. Joshua later makes up with Amber.Anne-Marie visits Campbell's house when he isn't there and discovers what he is doing.At Campbell's 60th birthday party, the Winslow Homer is supposed to be evaluated by Pinkus and sold to Amir if it is authentic. Joshua shows up with the painting, which he says was stored properly.In an auditorium with hundreds watching, the Winslow Homer is unveiled and Campbell tells a false version how he got it and invites experts to test its authenticity. Pinkus uses infrared technology. But before the results are known, Anne-Marie walks up on stage and damages the painting to the horror of the audience and Campbell. Then the infrared technology reveals the truth: another painting under the Winslow Homer, which a true Homer would never have.Joshua agrees to move in with Anne-Marie.