Johnny and Tanner are two brothers raised in a violently dysfunctional family, with a brutal psychopath for a father. One day, their father's abuse of their mother goes too far and tragedy strikes. Tanner winds up in jail, and Johnny is sent to a foster home, where he finally knows a stable life and a caring family. Years later, Johnny (Scott Waugh) is a college student with good marks and good prospects ahead of him, while Tanner (Sean Graham) is trying to dig himself out of a life of crime. Tanner calls Johnny and asks him for a favor -- he'd like his brother to vouch for him in a hearing with his parole officer in Hollywood. Johnny agrees, but then discovers that the hearing isn't in nearby Hollywood, CA, but on the other side of the country in Hollywood, FL. A promise is a promise, and Johnny and Tanner hop in Tanner's ancient Lincoln Continental with only 12 dollars to their name, hoping the fates will guide them safely to the East Coast.

Julia is a hard-working girl with two jobs and a boyfriend, Istvan, who is a rock musician and always in trouble. When cocaine dealers threaten to kill him over a debt, she tries to help him come up with the money. This starts an unfortunate chain of events at her daytime job at the hotel, and brings her and the hotel manager, O'Ryan, closer together, or so it seems. Then, in his unrequited love for Julia, O'Ryan goes a step too far, way too far, and from there, things get very ugly!