In the sweltering summer of 1990, Frank and Jerry Lee Flannigan, two aimless brothers perpetually meandering through a series of dead-end jobs and indulgent excesses, sought escape from their seemingly boundless hardships through their creative inclinations and copious amounts of alcohol. Their lives, however, took a devastating twist when Jerry Lee, burdened with self-destructive impulses, accidentally struck and killed a child in a hit-and-run accident. Overwhelmed by fear of the repercussions, Jerry Lee abandoned Frank at a diner, set their car ablaze, and seized Polly's pistol. Consumed by despair, he hesitated between life and death as he attempted to take his own life, only to fail miserably, inflicting a self-inflicted wound to his already amputated leg – the result of a past incident while trying to stow away on a train.
Flashbacks reveal the oppressive shadow their troubled upbringing cast over them; their mother had died young, leaving them orphaned with an absent father. As Jerry Lee grappled with the intense guilt of his actions, Frank hurried to his brother’s side in the hospital in Reno, where Jerry Lee was undergoing treatment for his self-inflicted injury. Even as Frank attempted to comfort Jerry Lee by insisting that the child was merely an unloved drifter, his brother remained tormented by his guilt and burdened by grief.
As law enforcement closed in on their trail, the brothers resolved to flee once more, though Jerry Lee's leg had taken a turn for the worse due to severe infection. Seeking advice from friends, Frank placed a bet on the highly anticipated Tyson vs. Douglas boxing match, staking his meager savings on the outcome. When Buster Douglas pulled off a stunning upset victory, Frank found himself flush with cash. He seized the opportunity to donate some winnings to the family of the child he had accidentally killed and purchased a new car from his childhood mentor Earl Hurley, who cautioned him not to define himself as a loser.
In the dead of night, Frank stealthily smuggled Jerry Lee out of the hospital just as the police were closing in. They hit the road in their newly acquired vehicle, accompanied by an abused dog that Frank had rescued along the way. For a fleeting moment, Jerry Lee felt rejuvenated at the prospect of starting anew, finding a semblance of peace in their newfound canine friend. However, unknown to Jerry Lee, Frank harbored deep-seated feelings of wanting to reconnect with his former girlfriend Annie James, whose postcards had been trickling in, each filled with apologies for a mysterious wrongdoing.
With Jerry Lee wrestling with his guilt, he encouraged Frank to share his own thoughts and feelings. Frank confided the haunting memory of discovering Annie's forced prostitution at the hands of her abusive mother, an experience that weighed heavily on his heart. With Jerry Lee’s encouragement, Frank began to rekindle their relationship, working diligently to rebuild their lives together. At the same time, Jerry Lee became increasingly engulfed in despair, convinced that no woman could ever love a man with one leg, especially a man who had taken an innocent child's life.
As the weight of their shared burdens pressed down upon them, Jerry Lee began to express concern about Frank's self-destructive tendencies, particularly his struggle with alcoholism and the agony of lingering ulcers. Meanwhile, Jerry Lee's own body became a traitor to him, as a dangerous infection invaded his leg, wreaking havoc on his health. Stripped of his autonomy, he was forced to rely on Frank for support, even during an embarrassing moment when he made himself vulnerable in the shower.
In this desperate time, the brothers’ bond solidified, their struggles deepening their connection. Conversely, Frank, still hesitant, withheld his feelings for Annie, reluctant to confront the emotional chaos within. As Jerry Lee’s condition deteriorated, he poignantly observed that Frank's stories often ended in tragedy, especially when women were involved. It was as if Jerry Lee was attempting to caution his brother against the risks of emotional attachment.
In a tragic twist of fate, Jerry Lee’s health irrevocably declined, and he found himself back in the hospital, fighting a grim battle for survival. In a heart-wrenching attempt to comfort his brother, Frank spun a new tale, one that promised a happy ending — but it was too late. Jerry Lee's eyes dimmed as his vital signs flatlined, leaving Frank alone to grapple with the profound grief of losing his brother.
In the poignant conclusion, Frank musters the courage to confront Annie at her workplace, finally embracing their relationship with newfound understanding about the significance of human connections in the face of life's adversities.
