For ten year old Pete Carlton (Marc Donato) life is short. He is terminally ill and longs to fulfill his dream. Pete has longed to do what few people have ever done. He wants to catch a special blue butterfly. This is the most beautiful butterfly known called the Blue Morpho. His mother Teresa (Pascale Bussieres) wants nothing more than for Pete to be able to live out his dream before he dies. She finds an insect expert, Alan Osborne (William Hurt) to leave his laboratory for a time to take her son on a journey to find the butterfly. Osborne has spent most of his career in the lab and become an introvert. As he gets to know Pete, he is inspired by the sense of adventure and the courage this young boy shows. This journey will change both of their lives.