After secret agent Michael Scarn (played by Scott) is forced into retirement due to the death of his wife Catherine Zeta-Scarn, the President of the United States of America (played by Darryl Philbin) requests that he prevent Goldenface (played by Jim Halpert) from blowing up the NHL All-Star Game and killing several hostages. Scarn goes undercover and learns how to play hockey, killing another hockey player (played by Oscar Martinez) to make it into the game, but after confronting Goldenface, he is shot. He later recuperates but learns that the President was in on it all along. Depressed, he goes to a bar to drown his sorrows. The patrons of the bar sing a song called "The Scarn" which he danced to with his wife, which cheers Scarn up immensely. With his courage restored, Scarn is able to save the day and blow up Goldenface in the process.

电影以喜剧的形式，讲述了即将高龄离婚的夫妇以“送终仪式策划”为契机，各自面对新人生的故事。面对死亡即是面对生活。从一个家庭两代人的角度探讨了理想的临终计划，其中不乏欢笑与泪水。

源起会议之国的小型讲座，一群伟人聚在一起，开了一个伟大的讨论会，伟大的主题是:“什么是诗意”。开场一个象征镜头，影机先是追踪着火车，开进小城，再走到大街小巷，然后停靠酒店，走进局促的会议室。接着，一批有头有脸的作家杀入镜头，阿城、王朔、马原、方方、余华、棉棉，从阿城的“诗意”考古开始，讲到“有钱就有诗意”。各抒己见的过程中，大家谈得性起，渐将诗意按压在自我之下。镜头有时溜出来，看另一种风景。一旁的会议策划人，在酒店偶遇旧爱，更能体味点点诗意。演员王彤和王志文，就演着也许由作家虚构的故事，他们的存在，比作家更真实。吕乐一个革命式的举动:拆走纪录片与剧情片框框，将两者放在同一议题与空间自由对话。

大杂院中来自外省与本省的居民互相扶持，拾荒者石三泰对孤女小珠疼爱有加，虽然生活贫困，但两人感情深厚，情同亲生父女，过着甜蜜满足的生活。本片为李行导演首次执导的普通话电影，也是后来「健康写实」电影风潮的先驱，片中每一个小人物都充满了写实的刻画，而当时淳朴热心的市井小民，就如视频中一般在街头巷尾过着互助勤勉的简单生活。