The rural town of Bixby, Oklahoma, doesn't have a lot to offer the kids that are stuck growing up there. In TEX, the poignant coming-of-age story based on S.E. Hinton's novel of the same name, Tex McCormick (Matt Dillon) and Mason McCormick (Jim Metzler) are two very different brothers forced to survive when their burnt-out rodeo cowboy father (Bill McKinney) deserts them. After his departure, the boys must face the hardships of running a household and making some tough decisions. Mason is a star basketball player eager to escape the confines of the small town, but forced into the fatherly role of looking after the younger, hapless Tex. Considering himself a fourth generation cowboy, Tex is happiest when he's riding his horse. He parties with the locals, plays pranks in school, flirts with his best friend's (Emilio Estevez) sister (Meg Tilly) and doesn't take life seriously. When Mason is forced to sell Tex's beloved horse to pay household bills, Tex must learn how to accept the loss and forgive his older brother. The two boys are drawn closer by the sudden appearance of their delinquent father and a series of life-threatening events that reminds them that they're all the family they've got.