Whole New Thing is a 2005 coming of age gay movie about a 13 year old boy named Emerson Thorsen. Emerson lives in an isolated house with his parents Rog and Kaya. Kaya home schools Emerson. Rog is obsessed with saving the environment and creating green energy.
Emerson is not showing any interest in mathematics. His mathematical skills are equal to those of a fourth grader or nine year old. When his mother Kaya tells him he might not make it into university with such poor math skills he answers that his books will be getting published and he might be too busy to attend.
Kaya decides to enroll Emerson at the nearby Chezbrook County Middle School even though his dad Rog is against it. She insists it will help him get structured for life. Emerson is bullied in school and comes home with a black eye. Although Rog protests Kaya insists Emerson must learn such things. Don Grant the English teacher is having a hard time teaching the pupils a book. Emerson who has written books of his own proposes Shakespeare insisting the book is boring and not fit for teaching English. Grant obliges and gets a Shakespeare book. Don Grant is gay and frequents a public toilet to cruise for sex from strangers.
Kaya has been cheating in her marriage. She does not know that Emerson knows about it. One day she confronts Emerson for being rude to his dad. Emerson confronts her about the relationship she has with Denny.
Emerson one day brings a boy from class to study with him at their home. The boy's name is Jeff. Emerson gets the boy to use the Sauna together with him. Jeff however tells boys at school what Emerson made him do. It gets Emerson bullied in school and called names such as sauna boy and queer.
Emerson is getting drawn to his teacher Don Grant. He writes a love letter and takes it to his house. He places it in the letter box but finds the door unlocked and goes in. He finds a gay magazine which he goes through then leaves. All this time Grant is cruising for sex only to find his former Claude there. Grant plays a CD in the car which Emerson gave him as a gift. Claude complains that it must be from a lover because it has love music.
Don eventually gets Emerson's letter. It turns out to be a love sonnet. Don calls Emerson to ask him why he did so. Emerson insists he is not gay but just wants to get close to Don.
Meanwhile Rog follows Kaya to the house where she is meeting another man. He watches them from the window as they have sex. He waits outside for them to leave.
Don takes Emerson home. His parents are not in. Emerson is trying hard to seduce Don who forbids it. Emerson grabs his keys and runs off with them into the sauna. He runs after him. In the sauna Emerson tries to kiss and seduce Don into sex. Don runs off.
Rog waits into the night when Kaya and the man have all left the house. He goes in with an axe and vandalizes it. The man finds him burning the house. Rog runs off to his house where police come for him.
Don does not show up for English class. Emerson asks the female teacher where Don is. She says Don has called in sick and she will teach on his behalf. Emerson runs out to Don's house where he finds him just about to leave. He opens the boot and hides there. Don comes and drives off without knowing Emerson is at the back. He drives to the toilet where he leaves the car and goes in. Emerson follows him and finds him with another man in the toilet having sex. He runs outside upset and waits. When Don emerges Emerson confronts him for having sex with a stranger whilst he has refused his approaches. Emerson runs off and Don tries to catch up with him. Emerson comes back to the toilet and gets picked up by a gay stranger who takes him to his house. In the house he pays Emerson some money and asks him to undress. Emerson removes his shirt but asks to use the wash room while bare chest. He locks himself in then tells the man that he is not 16 but 13 and promises to leave his money in the sink. Meanwhile the school has called Kaya and Rog about his escape. They go to Don's house where Rog does a redial on his phone and get Claude his former boyfriend. They ask him about Emerson's and Don's whereabouts. Claude calls Don on his cell phone to inform him that Emerson's parents are searching for their son at his place. Don is stressed and still looking for Emerson. The stranger lets Emerson leave his house. Emerson runs out and sees Don's car and runs in. Don takes him to Claude's house where his parents are waiting.