Francis L. Watts (Richard Gere) is an affluent business man living in Philadelphia. But despite his wealth and connections, he is still grieving over the death of his friends, caused by a tragic car crash he was responsible for years ago. In an attempt to relieve his pain and guilt, something that his morphine addiction can't fix, he gets back into the lives of his friend's daughter and her husband. But after showering them with gifts and new prospects, things quickly sour. What follows is a desperate man's attempts to keep hold of his life, while everything around him falls apart.