In his rundown shack, poised on an ocean cliff, George Monroe (Kevin Kline) gets up in the morning, walks outside and pees into the Pacific, much to the exasperation of his neighbour, Colleen Beck (Mary Steenburgen) and the amusement of her daughter, Alyssa (Jena Malone). In the smart cul-de-sac where he lives, George and his shack are something of an eyesore. One neighbour in particular, the disagreeable David Dokos (Sam Robards) has it in for George because George’s dog has a habit of relieving himself on Dokos’ lawn.