boy named Evan Taylor (Freddie Highmore) grows an outcast in an orphanage for boys in the belief that his parents alive. He can hear music everywhere: in the light, wind, air, and even electrical wires. He believes he can hear the music of their parents. Evan said, that was a welcome child to his parents that one day they'll come in and take it.
Evan meets a social worker Richard Jeffries (Terrence Howard) from the Department for Children of New York and said that he would not be adopted. The boy liked Jeffries. He handed Evan a business card with the number your phone on in case the boy need anything.
Through a series of returns in the past the viewer learns that the boy's parents - Laila Nováček (Keri Russell) and Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Laila - known young cellist. Louis - Irish guitarist and lead singer of rock band. They meet at a party and spend a romantic night together. Because of the strict father, Laila become separated from Luis.
Laila is pregnant with their Luis child. Her father does not approve of this. He wants his daughter had made a successful career without a hitch as a child. After a quarrel with his father Lyle runs out of the restaurant and it is hit by car. In the hospital, she gives birth to a son. The last thing she remembered - as a nurse, said that the child has stopped the heartbeat. When Laila woke up Her father told her that her son died. She and the suspect could not be that the child survived, but his father had forged her signature on adoption papers. Louis and Lyla, after losing each other thrown into music.
Evan adamantly believes that if he would play music, then it has a chance to meet his parents. He believes that parents hear it. He escapes to New York and meets Arthur (Leon G. Thomas III) - the boy who plays on the street for money. Evan follows Arthur and falls to the Maxwell Wallace, known under the nickname "Wizard" (Robin Williams). It contains a variety of homeless and runaways, who play music on the street and give him a big part of the proceeds. Evan opens his musical talent, and enlists the boy wizard in the street musicians and anoint his pseudonym of "August Rush." Sorcerer convinces Evan that if his real name will be disclosed, he would have quit music and go back to the orphanage shelter.
Laila had just learned that her son is alive: her father before his death confesses what really happened to the child. Laila immediately sent in New York to seek his 12-year-old son. At the same time she returns to the New York Philharmonic to play the cello. Somewhere in this same time Louis returned to rock music.
After the raid, police Evan takes refuge in a church where once again shows his natural musical talent. Evan enters the Juilliard School under the name August Rush. He shows himself a past master, much better than any of his high school students, and music, he wrote, was approved for execution by the New York Philharmonic in Central Park. Unfortunately Warlock broke on the dress rehearsal, forcing Evan to go back to the outdoor music threatened disclosure of his real name.
Meanwhile, Laila learned the name of his son and he looks like. She was determined to stay in New York until, until he finds Evan. At the same time she decided to resurrect his career cello. It was chosen for Games at the same concert as Evan. Louis, incorrectly informed that Laila got married, returned to New York to play music from their previous group. He accidentally met with Evan at the park in the Washington area and they play music together, but none of them knows who the other.
evening before the concert Evan runs away from the Warlock and goes to the park hoping to be on time for his speech. Meanwhile, Louis goes to the park where he sees the alias Evan, along with the name of Laila on the advertising poster. Evan manages to get to the park and conducts the orchestra. At the end of his speech, he turns and sees Lyla and Louis standing in front of him, hand in hand. And he knows that finally he was reunited with his parents.
