Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) is content to be a bright, talented, but unfocused Southern California surf slacker - until the day he discovers a novel by acclaimed author Martin Skinner. Inspired, he suddenly realises his life’s ambition: to leave behind mind-numbing Orange County and study creative writing with Skinner at Stanford University. But after being denied enrollment due to an admissions error, Shaun is forced to seek help not only from his girlfriend Ashley (Schuyler Fisk) but also his hopelessly dysfunctional parents (Catherine O’Hara & John Lithgow), stoner brother Lance (Jack Black), and a host of hilarious circumstances to make his dream of escaping his hometown nightmare a reality.