Newly elected to United States Congress, former local television news reporter Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) leaves his hometown of Buffalo, New York and later moves to the fictional community of Prestige Crest, Virginia, where his congressional campaign officially declares that he will change the world. Evan prays to God in Christianity (Morgan Freeman) to give him this opportunity. His wife, Joan (Lauren Graham), also prays that she, Evan and their three sons Dylan (Johnny Simmons), Jordan (Graham Phillips (actor)) and Ryan (Jimmy Bennett) will be closer together as a family. On his first day, Evan receives a letter from his greedy boss, Congressman Chuck Long (John Goodman), who provides him with a prime office and the opportunity to join Long as the junior co-sponsor to his Citizens' Integration of Public Lands Act (CINPLAN) bill. Over the next several days, strange events in Evan's life occur: