The film describes a few days in the life of the writer Robert Harmon (John Cassavetes) and his sister Sarah (Gena Rowlands). The decadent life of Robert is made of alcohol, cigarettes, and short-time relationships with women; women he interviews for a book, he spends a weekend with at a casino or fall in love with for the fun of an evening (Diahnne Abbott and her mother). Having no constraints, he his unable to be responsible for anything including the care of his son, leaving him alone in an hotel room and teaching the 12-years old boy how to drink. His life is made of his own phantasms as an artist. His sister is divorcing from her husband because of her exuberant and insane behavior. She scares her daughter Debbie who prefers to stay with her father (Seymour Cassel), a decision that hurts Sarah very deeply and reinforces her nervous breakdown. Most of the movie takes place in the house of Robert (in reality, it was the house of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands in Los Angeles). We watch Robert and Sarah struggling with their own lives. As the movie progresses, they end up with each other. The house gets empty little by little until Robert remains alone, after Sarah left him for another man. At the end of the movie, John Cassavetes waves goodbye to the viewers with his hat, addressing a farewell to movies and to life.