It's 1998 in Dickinson, North Dakota and the beloved Dickinson High School mascot, the Fighting Midget, is under assault by pc-minded townsfolk who prefer the less threatening moniker, the Fighting Pheasant. And Danny Mesersmits, an average teen and son of a local athletic legend, has decided that he sucks at wrestling. Two weeks before varsity wrestling begins, Danny announces, much to the shock of his family and friends, that he does not want to compete in the sport that his father dominated. Meanwhile, Danny is distracted by his budding relationship with his socially downtrodden girlfriend, Ann whose disapproving, image-obsessed mother Karen stands in the way. After an unexpected tragedy, Danny retreats into a spiral of self-doubt and torment that strains his relationship with his caring mother Mary and his wise - yet alcoholic - uncle Ron. As Danny wrestles with life's uncertainty he faces his past and sets a plan for his future.