Tea and Sympathy

At his ten year reunion, Tom Lee reminisces about his life at Chilton, a boys' prep school. Chilton is the type of institution where generations from the same family attend, and want to attend. Tom, however, has different thoughts. He was perceived as different than the other boys, who called him sister-boy. He doesn't join in the group sporting activities except tennis, a sport he plays with finesse rather than power; he knows how to sew and cook; he knows all about gardening; he wants to be a folk musician; he's only accepted into the dramatic club if he plays the women's roles; and he even doesn't walk or style his hair like the others. The only one of his classmates who tries to understand him is his roommate, Al Thompson, who feels he can only do so much as one person against the masses. Tom knows that he embarrasses his alumnus father, Herb Lee, who is worried the Lee name will now be forever tainted at Chilton. At Chilton, Tom's favorite times are spent with Laura Reynolds, the relatively recent bride of his dormitory house master, the overtly masculine Bill Reynolds who also attended Chilton as a student at the same time as Herb Lee. Seeing the torment he is facing from all sides, Laura wants to help Tom in any way she can. As time goes on and things don't get any better for Tom, Laura comes to the realization of why she is trying so desperately to help him and what she needs to do both to accomplish that task and be true to herself.