Set in the urban cacophony of New York, the story begins with the mild-mannered but confused George (Gere) being thrown out from an apartment by Art (Buscemi). Later viewers find out this apartment was not his, but rented to an evicted acquaintance, whom he calls "Sheila" (Sedgwick). From the start, George is indigent; he claims that someone has stolen his wallet. One can only guess he'd been living on the edge for a while. Several attempted telephone calls yield no help, and George is forced to sleep on the streets.