The Goldfinch, which was released nationwide in theaters on September 13, was more than just a movie. It was about a painting which was worth more than most things in life, but that painting made a boy’s life both miserable and happy.

Theodore (played by Oakes Fegley as a teen and later by Andrew Elgort as an adult) already had problems when his father abandoned the family, but his life became more complicated when he was framed for smoking at school. This caused the principal to arrange a meeting with Theodore and his mother. They arrived at the meeting early and, since it was raining outside, they decided to go into a nearby museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

There, an accidental explosion occurred, killing Theodore’s mother and causing him to become an orphan. Before he left the museum, Theodore met a guy who was dying from the explosion. His last words were a request for Theodore gives him a special ring. He also gestures toward the Rembrandt painting of The Goldfinch, which happened to be his mother’s favorite. In all of the confusion, Theodore steals the painting from the museum.

The special ring led Theodore to a nice man who taught him about building and fixing antiques, but later he abuses this knowledge, which fills him with guilt.

Meanwhile, a nice family took him in, but then his father arrives, drunk and angry, and takes Theodore away, thinking he was going to get some money for doing so. He later dies in a car accident, making Theodore officially an orphan.

One Thanksgiving night, Theodore shows his friend Boris (played by Finn Wolfhard as a teen and later by Aneurin Barnard) The Goldfinch, which is a fascinating painting. It had meant so much to him over time, but he worries that he is going to be caught with it. Theodore doesn’t fine out until years later that Boris had stolen the original painting, swapping it out for a forgery.

Years later, Theodore encounters Boris, who has been using the painting as collateral for criminal activities. Boris helps Theodore get the painting back and placed in another museum.

Some other familiar actors in the movie are Luke Wilson and Nicole Kidman.

The Goldfinch was based on the novel by the same name, written by Donald Tartt and published September 23, 2013.