In 1972, 9-year-old J.R. Maguire moves into his grandfather's dilapidated house in Long Island, N.Y. Searching for a father figure, he falls under the unconventional tutelage of his uncle Charlie, a charismatic, self-educated bartender who introduces him to a handful of the bar's colorful regulars. As the years pass and J.R. grows into a young man, he tries to fulfill his dream of becoming a writer.