Brent Bishop longs to have the popular Brianna strolling around school on his arm. But when she rejects him at a classmate"s party, Brent"s hopes for popularity are instantly shattered. Devastated, he tries to destroy himself in a car crash... but instead kills an innocent girl named Lea. Instead of sending him to jail, Lea"s parents challenge Brent to create four whirligigs modeled on a picture of Lea and position them at the four corners of the United States. Lea"s mother hopes that the whirligig that used to delight Lea will be a fitting memorial for her precious daughter. She sends Brent off with an unlimited bus ticket, a few pieces of wood, and the tools to memorialize Lea. On his mission to preserve his victim"s memory, Brent ultimately rediscovers his own love of life.