A.J. "Stoney" Stoneman, a grizzled sheep rancher from Medora, North Dakota, is tricked by Sheriff Hank Dawson into taking a trip to see his daughter Kate Harper in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While there, Stoney ends up bonding with his 16-year old grandson, Charles, whom he hadn't seen in nine years. Charles is also part of the plot to get Stoney help for a serious health issue. Charles tells Stoney his mother is in the hospital, so they leave for the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, Stoney finds out that Kate was only "in" the hospital to trick Stoney into having an examination. Stoney and Kate have a bout with words as Stoney is leaving and he collapses from an aneurysm, thereby causing him to be hospitalized. With the aid of his rancher pal, Shuck, Stoney escapes the hospital—with Charles in tow—for what becomes a life-changing adventure as Charles discovers his family roots and what it means to be a “wooly boy”.