After much speculation of his sexuality, David Harris, a professor at a boys’ school in New England, is finally fired after being caught nude at the beach with a student. Tea & Sympathy focuses on the impact that the discovery has on the life of the student, Tom Lee. Tom, already a social outcast with the other boys, finds himself even more ostracized. At the same time, he experiences a growing relationship with Laura Reynolds, the head mistress of the dormitory in which he lives. Bill Reynolds, the schoolmaster, warns his wife of getting tangled up in Tom’s problems, reminding her that her duty is to merely give the students a little "tea and sympathy."

Herbert Lee, Tom’s father and Bill’s dearest school buddy, arrives at the school to discover the rumors that are being passed around about his son and immediately takes action; he orders Tom to cut his hair and quit the school play (in which he was playing a woman).

After a demanding phone call from his father, Al, Tom’s roommate and only friend at school, informs Laura that he will not be rooming with Tom next year. Laura encourages Al to reconsider, that if he gives up on Tom, he’ll have no one left. She succeeds, and Al decides to give Tom some lessons in presenting himself in a more manly fashion. The two work together to rework Tom’s bouncy walk, but Tom gives up: "No one gave a goddamn about how I walked till last Saturday!" Finally, Al derives a plan. He suggests that Tom visit Ellie Martin, local tramp and waitress at the nearby soda joint, assuring Tom that after Saturday night with her, the entire school would be buzzing about it Sunday morning.

Laura overhears the phone call Tom makes to plan an evening with Ellie. Saturday arrives, and Laura tries desperately to convince Tom to stay home. He impulsively kisses her. He tries again, but she stops him. Embarrassed, he storms out.

The next morning, the boys are talking about Tom’s visit to Ellie, but it is soon discovered that nothing happened. Tom admits that he was unable to do anything with her and tried to kill himself.

Tom’s father arrives to talk to the dean. Because he was caught with Ellie, Tom is to be expelled from school, yet Mr. Lee does not appear distraught at all but rather pleased. At least his son will leave as a man. Laura is appalled at his attitude, an attitude that soon disappears as Bill informs Mr. Lee of the truth about the night before. Mr. Lee leaves disappointed after Tom refuses to speak to him.

Laura explodes at her husband, unable to comprehend why the fact that Tom is different automatically brands him as a homosexual. She confesses that she wishes Tom had tried to prove his masculinity with her and not Ellie. Finally, she announces that she is leaving Bill.

After Bill leaves, Laura approaches Tom in his room, and tries to convince him that he was unable to perform with Ellie because he did not love her. She fails. Tom has come to the conclusion that he must be what everyone says he is. Laura closes the bedroom door, one last attempt. She reaches her hand to Tom, he takes it, and she brings it up toward her open blouse.

TRANSLATION NOTES

David Harris, the suspected homosexual professor who brought about the rumors of Tom, does not exist in the movie. Rather, the entire downward spiral begins when Tom is spotted sewing with Laura and other headmistresses on the beach instead of rough housing and playing sports with the other boys.

Ellie, who is never seen in the play, makes an appearance in the movie. Most likely, this deviation from the play is simply a matter of production value, adding another character and setting for the audience to watch. However, Ellie’s appearance removes the chance that Tom’s inability to have sex with her was due at all to his possible homosexuality; after all, the character is presented-as described in the movie-as a dog. Also, the play leads the audience to believe that Tom’s attempted suicide was due to his inability to perform with Ellie. The film suicide seems to be based more on the fact that Ellie begins to make fun of Tom, calling out the name that all the boys call him, "Sister boy."

While the word appears in the play, "homosexual" is never actually said in the movie. The concept of homosexuality is left out almost completely, emphasizing effeminacy as opposed to homosexuality.

Finally, while the play ends leaving the audience to decide what will happen between Laura and Tom after the curtain falls, the movie avoids any doubt. The movie begins ten years later at a school reunion. Tom visits his old room, and it is there that the events of the movie play out in his mind. At the conclusion, we return to the present. Tom finds Bill Reynolds, who is now a mess since Laura has left. Reynolds presents Tom with a letter that he found addressed to Tom that Laura never sent. Laura’s voice is heard as Tom reads the letter. We discover that Tom did spend that evening with Laura and that he is now married with children; any possibility of his homosexuality now completely removed.