Gunner and his mother share a special bond. She supports his daydreaming and artistic pursuits, while his frequently-on-the-road father, Amos, with whom Gunner shares a strained relationship, has other ideas about where his son's interests should lie. Gunner and his dad attempt to smooth over their differences for the sake of the family, but when his mom's sickness worsens, Gunner disappears into stacks of books on both science and the supernatural in search of possible cures. When Gunner and his rebellious friend Jo go missing during their quest into the Water Man's mysterious forest, Amos must immerse himself in his son's world to find them and put his family back together.