Bandits led by Matt the Mute enter a bar and kill multiple people. Randy Bowers comes to town and is framed by Matt the Mute, who is working with the sheriff, who doesn't know that Matt is really a criminal. Matt the Mute writes out everything he wants to say. Randy escapes with the help of Sally Rogers, the niece of the dead owner of the bar. Bowers runs from the sheriff, and ends up in the cave in which the bandits have their hideout. They kidnap Sally, who escapes with the help of Bowers. Matt the Mute is killed when he enters the bar, which is filled with explosives, and the niece marries Randy.
拉里·戈普尼克（迈克尔·斯图巴 Michael Stuhlbarg 饰）是美国明尼苏达州双城区某大学的物理教授，学校正决定是否颁发给他终身教授资格时，一位韩国学生向拉里抱怨考试评分不公，遭拒绝后则向拉里行贿。与此同时，拉里的妻子朱迪斯（莎瑞·莱尼克 Sari Lennick 饰）说她爱上了鳏夫塞·艾伯曼（弗雷德·迈拉麦德 Fred Melamed 饰），要求离婚。不仅如此，拉里的无业神经质哥哥亚瑟（理查德·坎德 Richard Kind 饰）越来越成为负担，儿子的犹太成人礼在即，女儿偷钱准备为鼻子做整容手
