Science teacher Washington Bellamy (Danson) is fascinated by the mysteries of life. He lives with two of them - a wife (Steenburgen) who hasn't left the house in seven years, and an eleven-year-old son (Todd) who dreams of rockets but has never even taken a ride in a car. In the summer of 1969, as a whole nation awaits the Apollo XI mission to the moon, Washington and his son undertake a fantastic journey of their own. Their goal: to match the mileage fromt he Earth to the moon in Washington's 1949 Pontiac Chief. By journey's end, they discover just what the've been looking for - the renewed love of a wife and mother, and a future that shines as bright as the moon.