Eight-year-old Bruno attends a Catholic boarding school and seems a natural to win the Vatican's upcoming national spelling bee, but he has one problem -- he insists on cross-dressing. Fending off criticism, he tells everyone that he wears dresses as a source of power -- a religious vestment, inspired by angels who visit him. As Bruno progresses through the various rounds of competition, things get more flamboyant as his mother Angela, grandmother Helen and a school friend support his "dressing up." Eventually, he reaches the final match in which the winner gets to meet the Pope.