Through a series of vignettes, a young man in his twenties known only as “Fuckhead” or FH for short (Billy Crudup), recounts the story of his life through the early 70’s, from meeting his love Michelle (Samantha Morton), to his descent into heroin addiction. Along the way he meets a quirky parade of characters, from a crazed, pill-popping hospital orderly (Jack Black), to a half-paralyzed woman who teaches him about love, and an in-patient at a recovery centre (Dennis Hopper). As he stumbles towards sobriety, he discovers the depth of his own compassion for others, and the grace that comes with it.