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Fifteen-year-old Wong Chi Lam (Jimmy Wong) was born and raised in Hong Kong, an only child to working parents who always wanted to have a boy to carry the family name. He was well-educated through a series of primary schools growing up in Hong Kong and loves to read, write, and draw. He’s a fan of Manga and will include sketches of his daily activities in his diary when he writes. An introverted storyteller of sorts, he finds it easier to communicate his thoughts in his diary with words and anime sketches than he does face to face with people. As a result, he tends to be extremely shy and does his best to avoid conflict. Jimmy lives with his aunt Li Mei Yan (Amy) and Uncle Wong Tai Wei (David) in the UK. Like many Chinese students in the UK, he was sent by his parents to expand his educational experience and knowledge in a foreign country. Little did anyone know that Jimmy would become the victim of extreme bullying and racism within an all-boys school hosting a predominantly white staff and student body. Almost immediately, an unsavory group of boys led by notoriously evil Charlie Warner, have latched onto Jimmy because he makes for an easy target. Being a fish out of water with a quiet demeanor and focused acumen, Jimmy becomes the butt of jokes, physical harm, and painfully racist rhetoric. Charlie and his posse made up of his close buddies, Julian and Christopher, take every opportunity to make Jimmy’s life miserable and they get away with it daily because the teachers ignore it, look the other way, and refuse to believe there is a problem. To make matters worse for Jimmy, he refuses to fight back or go to the authorities for help. The daily harassment and hazing become part of Jimmy’s regimen, and he slowly loses his footing with his grades and attendance. The pain of enduring the onslaught of attacks pushes him further into a mentally dark and euphoric state. At times tuning out, isolating himself, and hiding from others, Jimmy makes every excuse to this aunt and uncle as to why he comes home late and with cuts and bruises on his body. Over time, and as Jimmy’s life and grades change, the reports his aunt and uncle provide to his family in Hong Kong never changes. Although his aunt and uncle are suspect of Jimmy’s change in demeanor and behaviour, their sense of denial continues to enable the ongoing abuse of Jimmy and they could never report to his parents that anything is wrong. Jimmy soon meets Vijay, an Asian boy of larger stature who knows what Jimmy is going through. For the time being, Vijay has offered some level of protection from the Charlie’s gang. Vijay has been down that road and has been able to keep himself safe from Charlie’s posse simply due to his size. He remains a victim, however, of their continues verbal attacks as well. Vijay’s presence for Jimmy is a welcomed break for as long as he’s around Vijay, the posse remains in their corner. Jimmy’s only respite from all of the drama at school is the time he spends at the Blackpool Pier and Arcade after school. The escape does come with its own set of challenges as he’s looked at funny by the locals and even the task of walking across the street is met with motorists yelling obscenities out of their windows. It is on the very end of the North Pier that Jimmy meets the Old Man, a fisherman who has spent many years at the dock trying to catch a fish that never remains hooked. The Old Man enjoys his pipe and casting his rod and notices Jimmy reading a book a few yards away. This book is a book that Jimmy has been reading over and over again and has decided he gets the most out of it by sitting at the end of the pier for his reads. Making every effort to introduce himself to Jimmy, the Old Man gets a good look at Jimmy’s battered face and obvious silence, and retreats to his rod. Jimmy remains quiet and withdrawn, taking interest in only his book, but the Old Man can’t help but be intrigued by Jimmy’s presence. Suddenly, a tug at the line, and the Old Man Jumps to action. Jimmy can’t help but notice the drama, the physical wrestling of man and fish, and jumps up to get a look at the struggle. Jimmy observes the Old Man and his struggle with the tugging fish and becomes fascinated with the effort. Having snapped his line and missing the catch, the Old Man offers Jimmy a chance to cast the rod. Jimmy refuses quietly, erring on the side of caution with this new stranger and leaves the dock and the Old Man scratching his head. The next day, Jimmy becomes emboldened and asks the old man if he can try his hand at fishing. The Old Man happily hands him the rod and helps him set the bait and cast the rod. It’s after that moment, the tension has broken and the two will become close friends. Jimmy occupies the bedroom of his cousin, Fanny, who is off to college in Birmingham studying child psychology. Amy and David have informed Jimmy that Fanny will be returning for a visit and he’ll need to surrender the room for a few days. After a rough day at school and time at the pier, Jimmy returns home to find his cousin dressing in the room. The moment is only a slight embarrassment as they soon get together downstairs for a chat to clear the air on the room intrusion. The last time they had seen each other was when Jimmy was just a toddler and Fanny is surprised by his quiet demeanor and sketches that depict him in a negative light. She spends part of the weekend with Jimmy trying to understand why he's so disconnected and learns that the bullying is taking its toll. She offers some support and words of advice and has promised to stay in touch and continue the support once she leaves. Between the care displayed by Vijay, Fanny, and the Old Man, Jimmy is given a bit of breathing room, but only for a brief moment. Any attempt for him to bring Fanny or Vijay to the pier to meet the Old Man is immediately squashed as the Old Man is never present. Fanny and Vijay have explained to Jimmy that it’s probably because it’s bad timing or his day off. Jimmy has been told by the Old Man that he never misses a day. This has Jimmy perplexed as he knows the Old Man would never miss a day. Another blow to Jimmy’s sad existence is the fact that Vijay has informed him that his family is moving away, and he’ll be attending another school. This is a big blow to Jimmy as he now must worry about the physical abuse that Charlie and his posse will not doubt be dishing out. Vijay leaves Jimmy with some words of wisdom, telling him to outsmart these bullies and he may have a fighting chance. With Vijay out of the picture and Fanny back in Birmingham, the abuse begins where it left off. Charlie and his posse have taken the opportunity to box Jimmy in and resume their hatred and punishment. Adding salt to the wound, Charlie and his posse have Jimmy cornered and upon beating and kicking him, discover his favorite book and take it from his backpack. Not only is the book a cherished read for Jimmy, but it also belongs to the school library. Jimmy looks to the Old Man for advice, but upon arriving at the pier, the Old Man is not there. He becomes despondent, out of touch, disconnected with his aunt and uncle and decides to take drastic measures to get his book back. Having arranged a tussle in the classroom involving gum, Jimmy is sent to the principle’s office. There he learns where the student records are kept. He takes it one step further and arranges to pull the fire alarm in the school so he can access the files and find Charlie’s home address. The plan works, and Jimmy decides to head off to Charlie’s house and confront him and his family and ask for the book. Upon arriving, Jimmy is met by Charlie’s mom who wants to help Jimmy but is prevented by Jimmy and his dad. Jimmy claims to not have the book but Jimmy and Charlie’s mom both sense that he’s lying. Time passes, the abuse continues. With his life spiraling out of control and the voices in his head taking over, Jimmy embarks on a journey down a dark path to suicide. His diary entries and his drawings become darker each day. With his parents still pressuring him, the bullying continuing in school, and the lack of attention from his aunt and uncle, he’s reached the point of giving up. Then, on a chance day, Jimmy is called into the office. The principle, Mr. Riggs, presents Jimmy with the book. He claims that Charlie Warner’s mom has dropped it off. This brief moment of joy puts a pep back in Jimmy’s step. He immediately heads to the pier. The Old Man is there, but the encounter is less than pleasant. Jimmy confronts the Old Man, tells him that he’s been at the pier every day but hasn’t seen the Old Man until he got his book back. Jimmy now questions his sanity and races off to the hardware store to buy a rope. Upon arriving home, he rigs the rope up to a makeshift clothing rod and hooks. With Amy down below cleaning house, she’s oblivious to what Jimmy is attempting in his room. As she puts the hoover cleaner away, she hears a crash and immediately heads for Jimmy’s room. She rushes in to find him lying on the floor, a chair broken underneath his body and the rope tied around his neck. He’s alive but appears to be paralyzed. Our ending flashes forward six months. Jimmy’s parents have arrived in the UK and are ready to bring Jimmy back to Hong Kong. Jimmy, in a wheelchair and undergoing therapy, has one request before he leaves Blackpool. That is to have his parents take him to the pier one last time. They wheel him to the end of the pier, book in hand. Jimmy reveals the book cover to the audience, “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemmingway. He then takes the book, rolls it up, and places it in the rail webbing.