Plot
Marcus Lund is a high school senior who is obsessed with music and sound. When he was a child, his older brother Alex saved him from their burning home, perishing in the process.
Marcus listens to all of the music Alex left behind. At a music gig, he falls for the singer, Wendy, who opens the show, but she leaves before he can introduce himself. At the gig, he has a seizure.
After testing, Marcus is told he has a brain tumor requiring surgery that will render him deaf. Depressed at the idea that he soon won't be able to hear his beloved music, he compiles a playlist of 50 sounds he wants to record.
After giving a presentation of his plan to embark on a cross-country road trip to record the playlist, his mother rejects his plan. Despite his mother's wishes, Marcus takes off in the car. As he drives away, Wendy suddenly jumps in front of the car, and he knocks her down. Undaunted, she gets up and jumps into the car, urging him to hurry.
Wendy's angry ex-boyfriend follows close behind on his motorcycle and tries to wrest her guitar from her. He manages to break two of the car windows and attempts to crawl through the passenger window before Marcus drives through a red light, and Wendy pushes him out.
At a diner, Marcus and Wendy introduce themselves. He tells her he saw her opener at the gig and that he is certain that one day she'll be very successful. He shows her his 50-item playlist, and she shows him her limited edition 1959 Starling Gold Fender Stratocaster.
On their way to NYC, they record many of the items on the list, including a thunder storm, a multitude of wind chimes, fireworks, and a perfect strike in bowling.
Arriving in NYC, they go to Wendy's aunt's place. Wendy heads off to her audition, while Marcus heads to the recording studio. There, he discovers that the fire that had killed Alex had actually been started by him; he had committed suicide.
Marcus confirms with his mother what he had learned about the fire. Later, returning to Wendy's aunt's, he discovers that Wendy is on her way Penn Station. There, he discovers that she had lied, there was no audition; she was planning to sell her guitar.
Marcus leaves, and persuades someone to buy him liquor. He empties his anti-seizure medication bottles randomly on the street. As he falls, his recording equipment ends up getting smashed by a passing car. While he's on the way to the hospital, Wendy finds the pills and the smashed tape recorder.
When Marcus' mother catches up with him at the hospital, she tells him that Alex had been bipolar. She drives him back home. Back in New York, Wendy struggles to get the tape recorder fixed, finally getting it done at Alex's friend's studio.
Back home, Marcus awaits the operation, a box with the repaired tape recorder and his brother's demo arrive from Wendy. She sends a recording wishing him a speedy recovery. The day of the operation comes and Marcus cherishes every last sound. Sending out his 'Ultimate Playlist of Noise' to all his contacts, he says he's now learning to appreciate the world with his other senses.
