Vitus is a 12-year-old boy who almost seems to be from another planet--he has hearing like a bat, he plays piano like a virtuoso and studies encyclopedias. No wonder his parents begin to anticipate a brilliant future for him as a classical pianist. However, the daily pressure of hours of musical practice, his over-protective but well-meaning mother and his father's precarious financial situation lead the boy to seek refuge at his eccentric grandfather's house. Vitus and his grandfather's shared love of flying, mischief and adventure offers Vitus an opportunity at a normal childhood--something the burden of his talent had previously prevented him from. When Vitus employs a ruse pretending he's been robbed of his talent, his future as a piano virtuoso falls at risk.