Growing up on the inner-city streets of San Antonio, Anthony Mendoza watches as his life of drug dealing spirals out of control. In an attempt to escape, he joins the Army, only to clash with Chris Wright, a hard-headed Christian determined to share his faith despite persecution. As Mendoza intentionally makes Wright's life miserable, he braces himself for retaliation that never comes. Despite the Army transforming him on the outside, Mendoza continues to resist any change on the inside. However, Wright's response to tragedy turns everything around.