Larger Than Life

The film opens with Jack Corcoran delivering a pep talk at a convention of recliner salesmen. He anchors his talk in his self-help book Get Over It and cites his father's death-before-birth as the kind of obstacle to overcome. The moment sets up Jack's relentless optimism and outbound drive to chase high-profile gigs.

At Jack's engagement party, his agent Walter updates him on multiple upcoming speaking engagements and dreams of a lucrative infomercial. They both hope one gig will be big enough to launch a new phase of his career. The scene contrasts Jack's personal life with his professional ambitions.

A telegram from a Baltimore attorney hints at Kirby's estate and a windfall for Jack. Jack's mother then confesses she lied about his father dying, having left him years earlier. The revelation reframes Jack's sense of legitimacy and motivates his next move.

The attorney shows Jack a contract that mentions $35,000, which Jack misreads as his father's estate. He signs it, only to discover the figure refers to property damage from Vera, not wealth. The misunderstanding triggers his decision to pursue Vera as a business asset.

Jack learns Vera is a breeding-age female and that Mo at the San Diego Zoo is willing to pay $30,000 for her. This negotiation locks Vera as a potential buyer, setting up a cross-country trek. The departure point is San Diego for the next steps.

Jack and Vera board a train bound for San Diego, but a stern conductor demands a bribe, leaving Jack stranded mid-journey. His $600 barely reaches Kansas City, where he seeks out Blockhead, Kirby's old circus friend. Blockhead confirms Vera's abilities and points Jack toward a Los Angeles trainer.

Blockhead shows Jack Vera's old tricks, including her hind-leg pose, and directs him to Terry Bonura in Los Angeles, a trainer who will pay $40,000 for Vera. Jack's connection to LA becomes the new central path toward monetizing Vera. The plan is set, but the road ahead is rough.

Jack and Blockhead attempt to drive to Los Angeles, but their truck fails. Jack rents a semi-truck and continues alone, despite having no experience behind the wheel. The journey reflects Jack's improvisational bravado in pursuit of Vera's sale.

Along the way, Tip Tucker, a paranoid trucker, agrees to haul Vera to LA after Jack stalls him with a ruse. Tip realizes he's been duped, attacks Jack with a tire iron, but Vera intervenes and saves him. Tip drives off, vowing to bring the police, heightening the danger of the trip.

The pair wander into a violent monsoon that threatens a village church. Vera uses her head to brace the crumbling walls while Jack gets her to stand on her hind legs to support the structure. The villagers assist and help them board a train toward Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, Jack nearly signs with Terry Bonura, but he witnesses a trainer abusing another elephant with an electric goad. He steals Terry's truck and heads toward San Diego, breaking from the exploitative circle. The decision cements his moral pivot in Vera's favor.

At the San Diego airport, Mo tries to load her elephants onto a C-5 Galaxy, but Jack and Vera aren't on the manifest. He drives the truck into the passenger-drop-off zone and races through the terminal with Vera. Tip arrives with Terry's goad as security debates who is the greater threat, and Jack and Vera make it to Mo on the tarmac.

Mo reveals she has spent her entire budget and has nothing left for Vera. Jack admits he will miss Vera but believes she would be better off with other elephants. The decision highlights the emotional toll of letting go and the logistics of keeping a traveling act afloat.

The final captions reveal that Jack left his fiancée for Mo, and that he and Mo witnessed the birth of Vera's first calf in Sri Lanka. Vera's memoir becomes a runaway bestseller, while other characters drift into their own futures.