巴比(杰克·尼科尔森 Jack Nicholson 饰)出生于音乐世家,但不知何故,他放弃了音乐,靠在石油钻井上工作度日。在餐厅做女招待的女友雷伊时常令巴比心烦,但他却又始终不忍与其分离。巴比行为颇为浪荡,抓住各种机会与陌生女人偷欢;在拥堵的公路上胡闹发泄;听到女友怀孕的消息后向唯一的朋友埃尔顿发火。埃尔顿因抢劫被捕,失落的巴比拜访正在录制钢琴曲的妹妹,却听到了父亲病重的消息。巴比与雷伊驱车前往华盛顿探望父亲,半路搭载了两位奇怪的搭车客:一位愤世嫉俗具有反社会倾向的女人与她的同性密友,一路颠簸后,巴比独自探访父亲,此时后者已经中风,认不出他了……Robert Dupea has given up his promising career as a concert pianist and is now working in oil fields. He lives together with Rayette, who's a waitress in a diner. When Robert hears from his sister that his father isn't well, he drives up to Washington to see him, taking Rayette with him. There he gets confronted with his rich, cultured family that he had left behind.