The movie opens with **Andrew Detmer**, a high school teenager living in Seattle with his alcoholic father, **Richard**, and his mother, **Karen**, who is bedridden with cancer. Andrew is an outcast and frequently bullied at school, with his only friend being his cousin, **Matt Garetty**. In response to his father's abusive behavior, Andrew buys a camera to document his life. He films his daily experiences at school, including the bullying he endures.

After school, Matt invites Andrew to a party, and although Andrew is initially hesitant, he agrees to go. However, upon returning home, he is confronted and beaten by his father, who warns him to obey. Later, at the party, Andrew feels abandoned when Matt leaves him to mingle on his own.