Vitus is a boy who almost seems to be from another planet: He has hearing like a bat, plays piano like a virtuoso and studies encyclopedias at the age of five. His parents anticipate a brilliant future for him as a great concert pianist. However, Vitus prefers to spend all his time in his eccentric grandfather's (Bruno Ganz) workshop. He dreams of flying an airplane, he dreams of being a normal child. Ultimately, with one dramatic leap, Vitus takes control of his life.