Roy Munson leaves his hometown of Ocelot, Iowa in 1979 to chase a professional bowling career. In his debut, he defeats the narcissistic pro bowler Ernie McCracken. Seeking revenge, McCracken convinces him to hustle local amateur bowlers for extra cash. When their scheme is exposed, McCracken escapes, leaving him behind with the victims, who destroy his bowling hand in a ball return, ending his career.
Seventeen years later, Roy is a cynical, scheming alcoholic, who wears a prosthetic rubber hand, and whose surname has become synonymous with failure and squandered potential. At a bowling alley, Ishmael Boorg, a naïve member of the local Amish community, catches his eye. Roy immediately recognizes Ishmael’s bowling talent and offers to help him turn professional, but Ishmael declines, as his community frowns on his hobby. After Roy is forced to have sex with his elderly landlady to pay his rent, he sees an advertisement for a Reno tournament offering a $1 million prize. Roy infiltrates Ishmael’s community to convince him to enter the tournament—he agrees after learning his family’s farm is going to be seized by the bank.
Under Roy’s coaching, Ishmael improves rapidly, and the pair earn money through local tournaments and hustles, including defeating wealthy bowling enthusiast Stanley Osmanski. Stanley assaults his girlfriend Claudia after she mocks his loss, and threatens to kill Roy for using counterfeit money to bet on their game. Roy, Ishmael, and Claudia flee, journeying together toward Reno. Roy and Claudia develop a combative relationship, each accusing the other of exploiting Ishmael. Their hostility eventually escalates into a fistfight, during which Ishmael runs away.
While searching for him, Roy and Claudia inadvertently drive through Ocelot. The pair bond after Roy confesses that he never returned to his hometown—not even for his father’s funeral—out of shame for failing to live up to his father’s expectations. They continue their journey and eventually find Ishmael, rescuing him from forced servitude as an exotic dancer.
In Reno, the trio encounters McCracken, now a national bowling superstar. McCracken reveals a past relationship with Claudia and mocks Roy, provoking Ishmael, who breaks his bowling hand attempting to punch him. Later, Stanley confronts Claudia, and she leaves with him—taking all the money the trio earned during their journey.
Ishmael convinces Roy to take his place in the tournament. Using his rubber hand, Roy gradually regains his confidence and wins the crowd’s support, earning the nickname “The Rubber Man.” He advances to the televised finals against McCracken, but Ishmael’s brother arrives to take him back home. Left alone, Roy is devastated when McCracken wins the tournament by a single pin.
Some time later, Stanley confronts Roy, claiming that Claudia has run off with his money and had been calling McCracken repeatedly. Roy angrily denies any involvement with McCracken—whom he had blamed for his failures—but now accepts that he is responsible for the loss of his hand and the state of his life. Stanley leaves to confront McCracken.
Days later, Roy has returned home and discarded all his alcohol. Claudia arrives and explains that she left with Stanley to stop him from pursuing Roy and Ishmael, then led him after McCracken, hoping to get some revenge. She confesses her feelings for Roy, who reveals that although he lost the tournament, he earned $500,000 from an endorsement deal with Trojan condoms as “The Rubber Man.” They visit Ishmael’s family and recount the moral strength and decency he showed throughout their journey—qualities that helped change them for the better. Roy gifts his earnings to the Boorgs to save their farm before driving off with Claudia.
