Tom's mother disciplines her adolescent sons the old-fashioned way, with a well-worn razor strop applied to their bare bottoms. Tom and Clay understand their need for traditional correction, and willingly accept their spankings every Friday evening in a bizarre family ritual that combines religion, motherly love, and intense corporal punishment. One night the boys host a schoolmate, who quickly discovers the price for poor schoolwork in his friend's family. The visitor not only learns a stinging lesson, but also uncovers a hidden family secret during this compelling tale of childhood life in the southern United States during the late 1960s.