Wisconsin native Eddie Brodsky, after being unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend, lands a job in New York as a rice geneticist--a solitary but rewarding occupation, in his opinion. He finds a roommate, Ray, whose success with women only puts Eddie's dire social life into further relief. As he adjusts to Manhattan life, Eddie endures the myriad ways New York has of putting a newcomer's brain in a knot and his heart on hold. On several different occasions, down-to-earth Eddie bumps into Lee, a struggling musician in an alternative band to whom he's immediately attracted. The more their paths cross in their East Village neighborhood, the more they are drawn into an awkwardly charming courtship.