Plot: Louden Swain has just turned eighteen, this being the year he's going to make his mark in life, or as his friend Kuch calls it, his vision quest. His chosen goal is to wrestle and beat Brian Shute, known as the best high school wrestler in Washington state. Shute is undefeated in his high school career. The issue is that Louden has to drop two weight classes to do so. This quest is much to the chagrin of Louden's coach and teammates as although Louden is an inexperienced wrestler, he is naturally gifted and focused and was primed to win the state championship in his own weight class. Louden's single-mindedness in this quest changes when he meets Carla. An experienced twenty-one year old drifter, Carla moves into the Swain house temporarily while she is in town. Louden is immediately attracted to her, the attraction more difficult for him knowing that she is living under the same roof. Louden's other obstacles in achieving his year's goal are actually reaching the necessary weight by bout time, and even if he does whether his body can endure the stresses from this extreme weight loss.
Alternative Plot: High school wrestler Louden Swain (Matthew Modine) feels he must do something significant in his life shortly after turning 18. Despite vehement advice against it from his father (Ronny Cox) and coach (Charles Hallahan), Swain decides to try to lose over 20 pounds in a very short time in an attempt to take on the defending state champion of a lower weight class. Meanwhile, he falls for the edgy, older Carla (Linda Fiorentino), who provides further distraction for the young wrestler.
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