Cedar Rapids

Tim Lippe, a naive Wisconsin insurance agent, is sent to represent Brownstar Insurance at the regional conference, filling in for his late coworker Roger Lemke. He hopes to emulate Lemke's supposed Christian values and win the coveted Two Diamonds award to save his company. The trip exposes him to a world of ambition, bribery, and loose morals he has never imagined.

At the conference in Cedar Rapids, Tim meets fellow agents Ronald Wilkes, Dean Ziegler, and Joan Ostrowski-Fox, forming tentative friendships. He also encounters Bree, a prostitute who nicknames him Butterscotch after he offers her candy. Although wary, Tim starts to connect with his new colleagues.

All agents take part in a scavenger hunt and Tim and Joan win. They bond over dinner, get intoxicated, and eventually join Dean in the hotel pool. Tim and Joan kiss and retreat to Joan's hotel room to have sex, narrowly avoiding being caught by the conference president Orin Helgesson.

The morning after, Tim feels guilty and calls Vanderhei to confess, then pleads for her to marry him. She rejects the proposal, telling him it is not the right time and suggests he start a new life instead. The moment marks a turning point as Tim faces the consequences of his actions.

Tim tells Dean about Lemke's supposed bribery to win awards, and Dean swears secrecy. Despite the hush, Dean urges Tim to stand up to Helgesson during the upcoming assessment. The conversation plants seeds for Tim's later resolve to challenge the corruption.

During the assessment, Helgesson coaxes Tim into bribing him for the award, revealing the unethical underpinnings of the competition. Tim is distraught by the coercion but reluctantly participates to stay afloat. The moment confirms the rot behind the Two Diamonds award.

Distraught, Tim re-encounters Bree and accompanies her to a party, where he ends up on methamphetamine and becomes involved in a fight. Ron, Joan, and Dean intervene to rescue them and de-escalate the situation. The episode underscores Tim's spiraling life in a hostile work environment.

Back at the hotel, Bill tells Tim that the firm has been bought, a deal tied to winning another Two Diamonds award, which will shut down the Cedar Rapids branch. Tim's career prospects and the loyalties of his colleagues hang in the balance. The grim news sets the stage for Tim's explosive public confession.

Ron, Joan, and Dean begin calling Tim's clients to secure loyalty and preserve the branch's brief survival. The trio tries to show that Tim's leadership is stable despite the looming closure. Their efforts hint at a unified plan to invent a new future beyond Brownstar.

On the final day, Tim takes the podium and publicly admits that his company has bribed Helgesson to win the award, and that he participated as well. Helgesson flees the room, and Bill's anger is palpable as the sale collapses. Tim announces his intention to leave Brownstar and start anew with his loyal clients.

With the sale derailed, Tim's network of clients rallies around him as he plans to depart with them to form a new venture. Seventeen clients pledge to stay with Tim, solidifying a shaky path forward. The story hints at a fresh start built on repaired relationships.

Afterward, the four friends say their goodbyes and plan to meet again next year. Dean invites Ron and Tim to stay at a wealthy cousin's cabin in Canada for the summer, and they eagerly accept. The trip foreshadows a new collaborative future beyond Brownstar.

Tim, Ron, Dean, and Joan decide to start their own company, using the relationships they've preserved and the clients they've kept. They cast off the old corporate constraints and commit to a new venture together. The conclusion signals a hopeful path beyond the toxic environment.