En aquesta comèdia de culte un Jack Black desfermat interpreta un guitarrista expulsat d’una banda de rock que es fa passar per un professor substitut amb l’objectiu de reclutar alumnes d’un col·legi privat per tal de participar en un concurs de grups de rock.
Un professor d'institut es llança per la finestra d'una aula sota la mirada aterrida dels seus alumnes. Tot i la tragèdia, sis d'ells es mantenen freds i inexpressius. Pierre, el substitut del professor, s'adona del caràcter hostil d'aquests sis estudiants, que semblen estar tramant alguna cosa, i motivant que Pierre s'obsessioni amb ells.
When Zhang Nan was a child, his mother was imprisoned because she had fought with the villagers over irrigation water. From then on, Zhang Nan was determined to leave and take root in the big city. Just when he has graduated with a master's degree, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Zhang Nan is forced to abandon a promising future in Shanghai and returned to his native village of Baiguo to serve as the team leader. Zhang Nan takes on three years of poverty alleviation work. Through his journey, he manages to untangle the knots from his childhood and also comes to understand the true meaning of his work. Along with his girlfriend, they invest their time and effort to focus on helping the countryside.
