Johnathan is a nine-year-old boy who loves sea monsters, and his 300 lb. pet pig, named Wee Wee. Unlike most kids, Johnathan has nystagmus, which makes his eyes "flutter." He also suffers from severe narrow angle glaucoma; an acute condition that if untreated can lead to permanent blindness. JoLynn cares for Johnathan alone while her singer/songwriter husband David travels in search of his big break. To treat Johnathan, she grows hydroponic marijuana to relieve the painful intraocular pressure Glaucoma causes. She cooks the marijuana into brownies and feeds them to him in secret. David's parents, Mark and Linda, live nearby and provide for JoLynn and Johnathan as best they can on a fixed income. Linda is highly critical of JoLynn's ability to raise Johnathan. During her son's absence, Johnathan has become more undisciplined than Linda would like. While Mark tries to keep the peace, he is torn between his wife and their daughter-in-law, who he loves deeply. When JoLynn discovers that Linda is secretly mounting a case for legal custody of Johnathan, JoLynn is forced to forgo the support of her in-laws. The result is a spiral of desperate acts that force JoLynn to make a decision that will change Johnathan's world forever.
