Affluent lawyer Mack (Kevin Kline) breaks down in the wrong neighbourhood and is threatened by a street gang. When tow-truck driver Simon (Danny Glover) arrives in the nick of time and defuses the situation, Mack is so grateful he considers how he could improve Simon's life. Mack is married to Claire (Mary McDonnell), who is saved from 'empty-nest syndrome' by the discovery of an abandoned baby. Mack's best friend Davis (Steve Martin) is a Hollywood producer of action movies, but a violent incident makes him consider more carefully his role in promoting a culture of violence. Meanwhile Simon's sister is increasingly worried that her children are being lured into a gang culture. Slowly, the lives of these characters become involved with one another, awakening new possibilities and a different view of the future.