ion, a schoolboy struggling with his identity, a single mother who is on the verge of being exposed for embezzlement, and a speedway daredevil whose bruised body and fragile ego are beyond repair, all find themselves scouring the Southern California landscape for $50,000 in buried cash-the grand prize of a struggling AM radio station's contest. Unknown to each other but bonded by a common desire for redemption, each is a willing participant in a treasure hunt caught between nostalgia and desperation.

"The Summer of $50,000" unfolds against a California landscape very much in flux, both culturally and geographically. Only one contestant will call on a troubled past to help walk away with the money - and the salvation that they hope it will bring.