Seventh grader Oliver, a Civil War buff and weekend reenactor, is partnered with two misfits--Ella, who is on the verge of failing all her classes, and Kevin, who is Oliver's lunch companion--to create a documentary about the wartime experience of a Civil War contemporary, and while they conduct research in local historical societies, collaborate on a script, and edit the film, they discover secrets about their Pennsylvania soldier and learn how to be friends with each other.