Rags follows the story of Charlie Prince, an orphan living with his acerbic and unloving stepfather and spoiled, simple-minded stepbrothers. Charlie's dream is to be a singer, and while he is vocally talented and can write music, he can't seem to catch a break. Kadee Worth, on the other hand, is the daughter of music mogul Reginald Worth and is an international pop phenomenon. While the world knows her as a glamorous superstar, she is secretly frustrated with singing other people's songs and wearing clothes other people choose for her. Kadee wants the world to hear and see her true talent. Despite every obstacle that gets thrown in their way, once Charlie and Kadee find one another, they each finally get what they have been looking for – a voice, a stage, an audience and each other.

上世纪六十年代著名迷幻摇滚乐队“海滩男孩”（The Beach Boys）队长布莱恩·威尔逊（约翰·库萨克 John Cusack 饰 ），词曲创作、和声以及编曲样样精通，创作才华惊人，他带领“海滩男孩”走向事业巅峰。布莱恩虽打造出影响全世界的畅销专辑，但却因压力过大导 致精神崩溃，直到他遇到饱受争议的心理医生尤金·兰迪（保罗·吉亚玛提 Paul Giamatti 饰）。尤金·兰迪的治疗方法极其激进并富有对抗性，在他的治疗下，布莱恩的病情有所好转，于此同时，布莱恩的生活和事业也被他操控……
本片改编自曾荣获格莱美终身成就奖的传奇摇滚乐队“海滩男孩”中的成员布莱恩·威尔逊的真实经历。约翰·库萨克（John Cusack）与保罗·达诺（Paul Dano）分别饰演中年布莱恩与青年布莱恩。