Gord Brody (TOM GREEN) is a 28-year-old artist who's moving from his parents' home in Portland to Los Angeles, where he hopes to get a job as an animator working for Mr. Davidson (ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL) and his studio. Unfortunately, Gord's drawings don't impress Davidson and the dejected artist returns home.
While his mother, Julie (JULIE HAGERTY), is happy to see him back home, his father, Jim (RIP TORN), is less than ecstatic, especially when he compares Gord to his ambitious younger brother, Freddy (EDDIE KAYE THOMAS), who holds down a good job in the banking industry.
After Gord's best friend, Darren (HARLAND WILLIAMS), breaks his leg in a skateboarding accident, Gord meets Betty (MARISA COUGHLAN), a paraplegic nurse and would-be rocket scientist. The two become romantically involved, and Gord makes up various lies to cover his unemployment.
As the relationship between Gord and Jim becomes progressively strained - eventually leading to Gord falsely accusing his father of "fingering" Freddy - the young artist must deal with his father, his relationship with Betty, and his desire to be a real animator.