In its heyday, Madison, Indiana was a thriving port on the Ohio River. But by 1971, hard times and unemployment are driving the locals away. The city's one claim to fame is its participation in hydroplane boat racing, a dream kept alive by Jim McCormick (Jim Caviezel) and the team of the Miss Madison, the town's boat. Jim was an up and coming racer in 1961, when he was injured in a race that also took the life of his best friend. The townsfolk were there to support his recovery, and since then, he has been content to work on the team of the Miss Madison and raise a family in his hometown.

But when Madison is chosen to sponsor the Gold Cup, the pinnacle race of the hydroplane boat racing circuit, Jim is determined to save his dying town and their old boat from being the laughing stock in a competition where the other teams have bottomless budgets. More important, he wants his young son, Mike (Jake Lloyd) to take pride in Madison and in his roots. Based on a true story, MADISON is about a small town that defies the odds, and a man who overcomes his own fears. Written by Scott Bindley and William Bindley (THE EIGHTEENTH ANGEL), the film is narrated by an adult Mike voiced by John Mellencamp. Mary McCormack stars as Jim's wife, Bonnie, who wants to join the exodus to the big city. Bruce Dern appears as a master mechanic who comes to his old friend's rescue just in the nick of time, and Paul Dooley plays the Madison's mayor.