A musically gifted boy named Evan (Freddie Highmore) is born from a young cellist (Keri Russell) and a guitarist's (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) one-night stand 11 years ago. Since being separated from his parents, Lyla and Louis, Evan has been performing on the streets of New York as an orphan under the wing of a stranger. In August Rush, he uses his talent to find his parents, who have reunited in search of their son.