George is the scapegoat of his classmates. One day he cracks and shoots them. His best and only friend Blaise is accused in his place and sentenced to 7 years in a psychiatric hospital. At the day of his release, Blaise realizes he only has one family: his best friend George. But he does not want to hear about his childhood friend, as he tries to integrate with the "Chivers" a gang whose members wear red jackets and boots, drink milk, drive sport trucks and play an incomprehensible and violent game that mixes cricket and mental arithmetic.
39岁的布伦南•哈夫(威尔•法瑞尔 Will Ferrell 饰)无业,一直在母亲南希(玛丽•斯汀伯根 Mary Steenburgen 饰)家蹭吃蹭住。40岁的戴尔•多巴克(约翰•赖利 John Reilly 饰)也是个与父亲罗伯特(理查德•詹金斯 Richard Jenkins 饰)住在一起的大龄男,靠父亲的接济生活。南希与罗伯特一见钟情,婚后搬入罗伯特家居住,布伦南也随母亲一起搬入,从此被迫以继兄弟的身份与戴尔同处一室。二人从相互敌视逐渐成为最佳拍档,共同对付布伦南的优秀弟弟德里克(亚当•斯科特 Adam Scott 饰),玩闹得不亦乐乎。可没想到他们的胡作非为却毁了父母刚建立起来的美满婚姻,二人后悔万分,终于决定痛改前非……
老富翁爱德华•科尔(杰克•尼克尔森 Jack Nicholson 饰)近年来在公立医院的私有化改造事业中获利颇丰,他为节省成本,规定病房“一房两床”的做法颇受非议,但性格强势的科尔不以为意,岂料他不久被检查出罹患癌症,本欲入住单人病房的科尔在舆论压力下只得与另一位病人——老卡特(摩根•弗里曼 Morgan Freeman 饰)同处一室。汽车修理技师老卡特博闻强识,将三个子女培养成才,但代价是牺牲了年轻时要做历史教授的梦想。曾经结婚多次如今却孤身一人的科尔逐渐对卡特产生了兴趣,两位老人在病房中结下了友谊。科尔偶然发现了卡特的“遗愿清单”,他决定运用自己的力量,让那些纸面上的疯狂构想一一实现,去发现人生的真正意义……