George Simmons is a middle-aged retired stand-up comedian turned movie star. Despite his wealth, he is disillusioned and depressed as most of his recent film work is low-brow and poorly received. Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, he is offered an experimental treatment that has only an 8% success rate. Believing he is about to die, he returns to his roots of stand-up comedy. Ira Wright is an aspiring stand-up comedian in his 20s, sharing an apartment with his two best friends, Mark and Leo. Mark successfully leads his own TV comedy series. Leo is a rising comedy star and recurring guest star on Mark's TV show. George meets Ira at a small comedy club, first hiring him as his assistant, Ira becomes one of George's only close relationships. Later he becomes his joke writer, opening for him in big comedy clubs, often meeting with real life comedians who talk about the comedy business. George reconnects with his ex-fianc&e acute;e, Laura, currently married to Clarke. Once his physician tells him the leukemia is in remission, George decides he wants Laura back. Laura invites George and Ira to her house in Marin County while her husband is away on business. They spend quality time with Laura and her two young daughters. George and Laura sneak off to have sex, Clarke returns home and there is an altercation. Laura faces a choice between her husband Clarke, who she suspects has cheated on her (he later confirms he received a happy ending at a massage parlor), or George (who also cheated on her many times). Ira is not always on George's side in the love triangle, so when it doesn't go George's way in the end, he fires Ira, who then calls George out on having learned nothing from his near-death experience. Ira returns to his old food-service job. After some time has passed, George attends Ira's stand-up act and sees that his old assistant has become a talented and competent performer. The ne xt day, George finds Ira at work and they reconnect as friends, telling each other jokes as equals.