Good Neighbor Sam

Sam Bissell, stuck in a windowless art department at a San Francisco advertising agency, earns a crucial chance when a major client, Simon Nurdlinger, takes note of his work. His boss, Mr. Burke, promotes him to account executive, signaling a hopeful turn in his career. He hurries home to share the news and celebrate with Min, setting the stage for the day’s social entanglements.

Sam goes to the Fairmont Hotel to celebrate with Min and meets Janet, Min's longtime friend and their new neighbor. The trio shares dinner to toast Sam’s promotion and Janet’s new home. In the midst of the celebration, Sam drinks heavily and later stumbles down the hotel staircase, knocking over a waiter as chaos erupts.

Janet has recently inherited a large sum from her grandfather, on the condition that she remains married to Howard. Because state law dictates the divorce won’t be final for another year, she hides the divorce from Irene and Jack who stand to inherit if Janet is disqualified. The timing puts the couple under pressure to maintain the deception.

With Howard unavailable, Sam is pressed to impersonate him when Irene and Jack arrive for an unannounced visit. The cousins are convinced only because Sam has never met Howard, and to safeguard the ruse they bring in a private investigator. The plan kicks off by having Sam cohabit with Janet and be driven to work as if he were Howard.

A private investigator uses a telescopic surveillance camera hidden in a phony workmen's truck to monitor Sam, Janet, and their interactions. Janet and Min cooperate to maintain the illusion as the days slip by. The constant scrutiny casts a pall over the household, feeding the tension.

When Sam is caught pretending by Burke and Nurdlinger, the couple is forced into a second deception where Janet pretends to be Min. The scheme becomes more complicated as the lie expands to cover more people and moments. The strain threatens to unravel at any moment.

Howard re-enters the picture, complicating the already precarious ruse. Sam notices a wave of new advertising billboards around the city bearing his and Janet's faces, which triggers a panic about exposure. The public display raises the stakes for keeping up the charade.

In a last-ditch effort to sabotage recognition, Sam paints clown faces on the billboards across the city. The bizarre redesign is meant to distract observers and buy time before the inheritance hearing. Janet reluctantly goes along as the plan unfolds under cover of night.

The attorney is set to determine whether Janet inherits with Howard still in the picture. The clown-faced billboards and the ongoing deception complicate the proceedings and risk overturning the fragile ruse. Tension peaks as the clock ticks toward the formal decision.

Min remains complicit in the scheme, providing a critical link that helps the deception hold together. The emotional strain of the double life weighs on Sam, Janet, and Min as the truth edges closer to surface. The trio’s cooperation binds their fates to the outcome of the inheritance.

The private investigator's watch continues to pressure the couple, and Irene and Jack’s stake in Janet’s future keeps the pressure high. Every misstep could expose the entire deception and jeopardize the inheritance. The film builds to a tight crescendo as the truth threatens to spill.

With the deadline for the inheritance decision approaching, the clown-faced billboards stand as a controversial last-minute gambit. The film threads together identity, deceit, and family loyalty as characters weigh their choices. The ending of the summary lingers on whether the ruse will succeed or collapse.