A 15-year-old boy drifts into fantasy in the shadow of a hard-drinking, small-town cop. Dad's brutality drives Tim from their trailer to a nearby summer home, where he explores the life and lingerie of Tracy, whose sexual awakening at boarding school is backfiring. When Tim opts to get rid of his father, Tracy's unexpected presence in that dark, white house kicks off a chilling round of twists.

Herbert Stempel's transformation into an unexpected television personality unfolds as he secures victory on the cherished American game show, 'Twenty-One.' However, when the show introduces the highly skilled contestant Charles Van Doren to replace Stempel, it compels Stempel to let out his frustrations and call out the show as rigged. Lawyer Richard Goodwin steps in and attempts to uncover the orchestrated deception behind the scenes.

This film spans one hot day in New York and follows the lives of many of its inhabitants as they go about their business.