An enigmatic young man with startlingly white skin and extraordinary abilities is discovered living in the cellar of a remote farmhouse and brought to live in a community that doesn't know quite what to make of him. Befriended by the head of a school for troubled youths and an enthusiastic science teacher, the young man demonstrates as astoundingly high I.Q. and a tremendous compassion to persist despite the distrust, hatred and fear that his presence seems to generate. He ultimately has a profound effect on all who come in contact with him but learns that he is the only one who can help himself.