The film tells a story of a divorced couple (Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette) trying to raise their young son (Ellar Coltrane). The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows. Filming began in the summer of 2002 in Houston, Texas and completed in October of 2013