The story starts in Louisiana on an evening of celebration following victory in WW1. Mr Button returns to the family home in New Orleans to be at his wife’s bedside as the trauma of childbirth unfortunately takes her life. The crying new born draws his attention, but he is alarmed to find a monstrous looking child with the appearance of a wrinkled, deformed old man. In folly he flees the house to abandon the child leaving him on the steps of an elderly care home with a small stipend of cash.
Discovered thereafter by his soon to be adopted parents, the baby’s appearance although alarming does not prevent the coloured couple taking into their care what they perceive to be a ‘child of god’, albeit an ugly one. A doctor’s diagnosis reveals that the child is akin to a very old man seemingly on his way to the grave. He advices that the baby be put to sleep, believing he has little time to live. Against the doctor’s advice, his new mother ‘Queenie’ considers the child special and names him Benjamin with every intention of caring for him.
Benjamin shows signs of a remarkable recovery and his elderly appearance fits perfectly into his new surroundings at the care home, but his old exterior belies an adventurous youthful energy that resides within and he is soon getting into trouble. Contrary to medical belief, Benjamin observes daily changes to his body from one day to the next, feeling that he is getting younger, which doesn’t go unnoticed by other inhabitants at the home.
In the spring of 1930, Benjamin meets Daisy a six year old girl visiting her grandmother. Benjamin never forgets what beautiful blue eyes she has. In the ensuing years they develop a very close friendship, Daisy proclaiming ‘your odd, your different to anyone I have ever met’.
Benjamin’s progress continues over the years. From his early arthritic wheelchair bound state he now walks freely albeit with gait of an old man. A foray to the docks brings employment with ‘Captain Mike’ a tug boat owner and he subsequently leaves home under the watchful eye of Daisy who asks him to promise to write from wherever he travels. True to his word Benjamin writes; she in turn returns correspondence.
The tug boat ‘Chelsea’ is commandeered for service into WW2 where Benjamin sees active service at sea. He returns to his family home in 1945 where the inevitable meeting of two souls occurs, as his childhood sweetheart Daisy returns to Louisiana at the same time. His more youthful appearance is barely recognisable to her, and he is astonished how the girl he left has turned into a beautiful woman. They soon part company as their individual lives and differences pull them in opposite directions. They always remain in the thoughts of one another.
In 1962, Daisy returns to Louisiana and any differences between the two are reconciled. Their blossoming love and cohabitation leads to a new baby daughter. They both conclude they are meeting in the middle of their lives and things happen when they are supposed too. However, after several happy years together Benjamin becomes increasingly concerned that they are growing in opposite directions. For the sake of Daisy and his daughter, he decides to leave, wanting them to have a normal life, with a normal father that they can grow old with.
Years later, Benjamin looking adolescent returns to her life momentarily. The widening age difference between the two is now very apparent, and they reconcile they were right to part ways for the sake of their daughter, who for the first time Benjamin gets a fleeting view. They part company once more.
Time moves on considerably before Benjamin now a boy and Daisy an old woman are reunited for the last time. In a reversal of his beginning, the boy now suffers dementia but outwardly has a youthful appearance. Daisy nurtures the boy, as he regresses to a baby, where before one final moment of recognition he dies in her arms.