In the late 1960s, four orphan boys go for a holiday by the sea on the South Australian coast. Since they share the same birth month, the orphanage calls them December boys. But these teens--Maps, Spit, Spark and Misty--have much more in common. With no hopes of ever joining a family, they form their own familial bonds. Then the unexpected news comes that a young couple may adopt one of them, and the long-time pals suddenly share something else: a rivalry to be the chosen one.