Set in 1980 in New Zealand at the time of the Springboks tour Uproar tells the story of 17-year-old Josh (Julian Dennison) who lives with his mother and older brother Jamie in Dunedin. The boys are of mixed Māori and European heritage and Josh’s ambition is to become an actor but his family and school are obsessed with rugby. While his mother aspires for Jamie to coach and Josh to play for the school rugby team, for Josh this conflicts with his plans to pursue his acting dream and his growing sympathy for the anti-tour movement which equates the treatment of black South Africans with that of the Māori. Conflict and upset ensue and Josh is forced to stand up for himself, his family and his future.