A mysterious and mythical motorcycle racer, Luke, Ryan Gosling drives out of a traveling carnival globe of death and whizzes through the backstreets of Schenectady. In an attempt to provide for his new family, Luke quits the carnival life and commits a series of bank robberies aided by his superior riding ability.The sweeping drama unfolds over fifteen years as the sins of the past haunt the present days lives of two high school boys wrestling with the legacy they've inherited. The only refuge is found in the place beyond the pines.