Plot

Convinced his thesis will have him graduate with honors from Harvard University, a stuffy student finds himself at the mercy of a homeless man's demands when he holds the papers hostage.

Monty is a student, and when his computer crashes, he's left with only a single paper copy of his thesis. Frightened of losing it, he immediately rushes out to photocopy it, only to stumble and drop it down a grate. Searching the basement of the building, he discovers that it has been found by Simon, a squatter. Simon makes a deal with Monty: for every day's accommodation and food that Monty gives him, he will give a page of the thesis in return.—Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>

At Harvard University, a radio program talks in voiceover as various parts of campus are shown. The person on the radio mentions that seniors only have 150 more days left to submit their thesis. Monty (Brendan Fraser) comes out of his house and starts jogging along the snowy streets around campus. While jogging, Monty sees one of his roommates, Courtney (Moira Kelly), who is a team manager of the university crew team, leading her team on a run. Monty smiles as he catches up to them and starts to run around them weaving in and out around the team members until overtaking them and playfully pulls Courtney's hood down before sprinting away.

Next, we see Everett (Patrick Dempsey), another one of Monty's roommates and the voice from the radio we heard earlier, doing his radio show. Everett makes suggestive remarks referring to the rooster he has in a cage near him. Everett talks about a report from a student claiming to have seen the ghost of Walt Whitman at the Widener Library.

Monty has a meeting with his thesis advisor Pitkannan (Gore Vidal). Pitkannan has Monty recite the first paragraph of his thesis from memory. After hearing it, Pitkannan is impressed and happy as the thesis seems to align with his views. Afterwards, Monty returns home where his three roommates, Everett, Courtney, and Jeff (Josh Hamilton), are sitting down to eat dinner. After telling them that his thesis meeting went great, Monty makes himself a plate and takes it up to his room to continue working on his thesis.

After Monty leaves the room, Courtney expresses concern about Monty working too hard on his thesis, but Jeff dismisses it saying Pitkannan will get Monty into grad school and set him up for life. While Monty is on his computer working, the lights flicker and the electricity goes out briefly causing the computer to crash. Monty screams causing his roommates to run upstairs. Courtney checks out the computer and informs Monty the computer's hard drive is fried. Monty had already printed out ten chapters of his thesis. Since he only has one copy, he puts it in a manila envelope to go make copies of it. Courtney advises him to wait until morning due to the weather, but Monty is paranoid and refuses to wait so Courtney goes with him. The two jog toward their destination. Courtney falls while trying to keep up with Monty, so she calls out to him for him to wait for her. While starting to jog backwards, Monty tells her he didn't ask her to come with him and that she can't keep up with him. In a moment of instant karma, as Monty turns back around to face forward, he trips over a bike rack injuring his leg and dropping the envelope which falls down through a grate into a building. Monty limps over and looks through the window to see the envelope on the floor of the boiler room of Widener Library.

Courtney reminds Monty that the library is closed, but she offers to help get him inside as she knows the guard on duty. Courtney tells the guard she misplaced her wallet in the library earlier that day and wants to see if anyone has turned it in. While the guard is distracted looking through the lost and found, Monty sneaks in and heads down to the boiler room.

In the boiler room, Monty finds a homeless man reading the thesis and throwing each page into a fire after finishing it. Monty screams for the man to stop. The homeless man, Simon (Joe Pesci), stands up and starts swinging a metal pipe at Monty. Monty gets Simon to stop telling him he is just a student and only wants his thesis back. Simon says the thesis is his now that he found it, and he blackmails Monty saying he will give Monty one page for every one thing Monty brings him starting off with a glazed donut and clean underwear. Monty reluctantly agrees. Monty leaves the library looking dejected and is joined by Courtney shortly after who takes Monty to the infirmary for his injured leg.

Back at their house, Courtney is examining glazed donuts since Simon specified he wanted one that didn't have cracks all over the glaze. The four roommates discuss how Monty should handle the situation. Courtney thinks they should pool their cash together and bribe Simon for the thesis back. Jeff tells Monty about Pitkannan dropping the last student he was a thesis advisor for because the student didn't have a rough draft completed early enough. This scares Monty who picks up the phone to call the university police. Courtney warns him against it saying he should just reason with Simon as he's a human being, but Monty calls anyway.

The next day, Simon is being led out of the library in handcuffs by the police. Simon sarcastically thanks Monty for the donut as he is walked past him. Monty, whose leg is now in a cast and must walk on crutches, and his roommates search through all of Simon's things that have been brought out of the library, but Monty's thesis is not among everything. The police tell Monty it also wasn't found in the library or on Simon's person.

In court, the judge reads the charges against six people, one of which is Simon. The judges says for the people who plead guilty to sit down and for the people who plead not guilty to step forward. Simon is the only person to step forward while the rest of the defendants sit down. Simon makes a clever argument resulting in the judge dropping all the charges against him, but he also makes some sarcastic comments/jokes, one of which is even at the judge's expense, resulting in the judge finding Simon in contempt of court and orders him to pay a fine or be held in jail. Monty, who has shown up to court, offers to pay Simon's fine to the court for Simon's release and the judge accepts.

Outside of court, Simon is walking away while Monty struggles to catch up to him with his crutches. Simon asks a young woman for a quarter and uses it to steal all the newspapers out of a newspaper vending machine. Monty tries to talk to Simon telling him he has a proposition for him, but Simon ignores him and starts loudly making up false headlines advertising for people to buy a newspaper from him. Monty says bailing him out should entitle him to a conversation. Simon just continues on making up a headline about a Harvard student's ego. Monty offers five dollars to buy the rest of the newspapers. Simon takes it but points out that Monty doesn't view him as a human being and that's why he now needs a home because Monty got him thrown out of a great place that was warm, had bathrooms, and plenty of books to read.

Monty takes Simon to his house and says Simon can stay in the large van in the yard left there by an old roommate, Boz, who had a breakdown a couple months prior and quit school. Monty says Simon can stay in the van until spring if he returns the thesis, but Simon says he will give Monty one page per night and stick to their original one page for one thing deal. Simon also asks Monty to get him the book he was reading from the library. Simon goes to walk off to get something to eat, but Monty tells him his roommates are cooking dinner so he will make him a plate. Monty brings Simon dinner and asks when he gets his page for the food. Simon tells Monty he will get it tomorrow as Simon has hidden the thesis to keep it safe and doesn't have it on him. Monty's roommates come outside on the step and see Simon staying in the van. Once back inside, Jeff expresses his unhappiness about the development afraid about what would happen if his parents make a surprise visit as they do sometimes. Everyone other than Jeff makes light of the situation. Courtney comes in and asks to borrow a razor as she has a date with an attractive guy the group refers to as "the face." After offering her his, Monty stares at Courtney as she leaves the room indicating he has feelings for her. Monty tells Jeff he'll have Simon gone in a couple of days and to just give him a break to deal with the situation. Courtney calls to Monty from the shower, and Everett playfully tells him to go get her as Monty goes to see what she wants. Courtney tells Monty to give Simon some extra blankets she has in her closet since it is so cold outside. Monty balks at the idea as he doesn't want to make Simon too comfortable which leads the two to argue as Courtney doesn't want to believe Monty to be so cold hearted that he wouldn't care if Simon died.

Monty looks out his window, which overlooks the yard, and sees Everett approaching Simon in the van. Everett gives Simon a book by Walt Whitman telling him a student saw him in the library and thought he was the author's ghost. Everett tells Simon how the van is actually his as he loaned their former roommate money, but the roommate left before repaying and he acquired the van. When asked by Simon why he doesn't sell it, Everett comments that the engine doesn't work. Simon offers to fix it for Everett in exchange for some bottles of wine. Everett agrees and gives Simon the bottle in his coat pocket as an advance and the two continue to chat and get along. Monty, having fallen asleep at his desk by the window, wakes up. He realizes how cold it is outside as he wipes away the fog on his window. Then he gets up, grabs a Harvard blanket sitting on the foot of his bed and brings it out to Simon. Simon appears to be asleep when Monty opens the van, so Monty puts the blanket over Simon. Simon's eyes open up as Monty closes the door.

The next day, Monty is walking to class using only one crutch when Simon catches up to him to give him the pages for lodging, meals, and two extra for the blanket. Monty thanks him but says the blanket was just good will and not for pages. Simon offers to carry Monty's books for him as it is difficult with having to walk with the crutch. Monty gets defensive, but Simon points out good will can work both ways as he really appreciated the blanket. Monty lets Simon carry them, and the two go to the library. The two sit down at a table, and Monty gives Simon the book he requested. Simon is approached by a female library employee who tells him he can't stay. Monty tells her that Simon is with him and part of his research project, so he's allowed to stay. Simon starts talking about how women are perfect, and eventually starts rambling nervously until he is shooshed by another patron. Simon seems to feel self-conscious fiddling with his clothes and his hair. He then tells Monty he will give him two pages if Monty lets him take a bath to which Monty agrees. As Simon starts reading and Monty tries to start doing some work, Monty asks Simon why Simon called him a loser the previous night. Simon assumes Monty finds it hypocritical to be called a loser by a bum, but he tells Monty that he is a quitter, not a loser. Simon tells Monty that Monty tries too hard and that winners forget they are in a race because they just love to run.

Simon is sitting in a bubble bath singing loudly. Jeff comes out of his room screaming for Everett. He goes into the bathroom thinking it's Everett in there. Simon stands up naked in the tub and continues singing while Jeff is horrified. Jeff goes downstairs complaining to Monty about Simon being in the house. Monty tells Jeff to relax. Jeff starts stressing out talking about how he's not going to get into medical school. Jeff then confesses he has only completed one page of his thesis. Monty comments how he heard Jeff printing out what sounded like 50-60 pages last week, but Jeff confesses he was printing out blanks. Jeff says he can't work with Simon in the house and to get him out. Monty tells Jeff he's starting to sound like Boz who had a breakdown when Courtney comes in. Simon walks into the room wearing Courtney's bathrobe much to her dismay. Simon's sarcastic and cavalier attitude about everything doesn't help. Courtney and Monty bicker some, so after Simon grabs a beer and goes back upstairs to get dressed, Monty tells his roommates that he understands and has a plan to take him to Social Security to get Simon signed up for disability benefits.

Monty and Simon go to Social Security, but Simon is uncooperative and provides silly unhelpful answers when asked questions by the woman who works there. Simon walks out followed by Monty yelling at him that they had a deal. Simon said he kept up his end by going to the place. Monty tells Simon he is entitled to the money because he worked for many years paying into the system based on what Simon previously told him. Simon says he has a gripe against the government and doesn't want their money. The two then go to a movie as was their deal for Simon going to the office. Back at the house, Jeff is seen screwing on a security door chain onto the inside of the door to his room. Courtney and Everett make fun of Jeff for his paranoia before going out for the night.

The next day Monty is walking to class with Simon. Simon offers help carrying Monty's books as carrying them while walking with crutches is difficult. Monty stubbornly refuses and stops to take a break. Simon hands him chapter 2 of his thesis and comments negatively about it having read it. Monty expresses his dream of getting into government and helping people. Simon tells him that the pessimistic ideas in the paper won't help people. Monty points out the ideas in the paper are very much supported by the main professor at Harvard who will be grading the paper. Monty says the paper is his life. Simon offers to show Monty his life and pulls out a bag of stones. Simon says that each stone represents an experience in his life that he wants to remember. When he holds a stone, he is transported back to the experience in his mind. The two stop and sit on a bench to rest. Monty becomes evasive when Simon asks about his father. Simon is hurt thinking Monty doesn't want to tell him because he still doesn't view him as a person. However, when Simon gets up to walk away, Monty tells him it's because there isn't much to tell. Monty's father left when he was 5 and started a new family with another woman and died not long after Monty got into Harvard. Monty says that his mother is amazing and his uncle took him to little league. When Monty asks Simon how long he was in the Merchant Marines, Simon jokingly tells him it's none of his business and starts throwing snowballs at Monty. Monty holds one of his crutches like a baseball bat, and the two start pretending to play baseball. The two continue talking as about their pasts as they keep walking.

The next day Simon is working on the van when Monty brings him breakfast and tells him he has a surprise for him. Monty brings Simon to class. The two sit down in class as Pitkannan starts a lecture about the constitution. Pitkannan further asks whether the president has the power to destroy the world by himself. After one student fails to answer, Monty raises his hand to try despite Simon discouraging it. Pitkannan shoots down his answer and tells Monty to sit down. Simon starts telling Monty how he told him not to do it. Pitkannan notices Simon talking and inquires whether he is a student or a guest. Simon tells him he is just a bum. Pitkannan starts talking about financially challenged people being fully capable but just asking for charity to be able to get drunk all day. He pulls out a dollar bill and is condescending toward Simon. Simon takes the dollar and goes to leave. Pitkannan remarks about Simon prompting Simon to turn around and answer the question Pitkannan posed to the class. Simon says the genius of the constitution is in its ability to always be changed if necessary because the founding fathers knew that they did not know everything. Simon goes to leave after answering the question and the class starts applauding him. Monty goes to leave right after much to the chagrin of Pitkannan. Monty apologizes to him but still leaves. Monty comes outside smiling and proud of Simon which turns to concern when he finds Simon having a coughing fit.

Monty walks in while Everett is cooking dinner and playfully bantering back and forth with Courtney about men and women being more than just sex objects to each of them. Monty tells the group that the temperature is supposed to drop below zero overnight and asks whether it's okay for Simon to sleep in the cellar. Everett and Courtney say they are totally fine with it, but Jeff throws a fit and threatens to move out if Simon is allowed to sleep in the house. Courtney and Everett say they don't care if Jeff moves out, but when Jeff asks Everett if he will cover his rent if he leaves, Everett tells Monty he's broke because his dad cut him off again. Monty explodes on Jeff grabbing him and telling him Simon is a human being. Jeff scoffs at this saying Monty only cares about his thesis and not about Simon. Monty brings Simon dinner. Simon offers to double his payment if Monty will let him stay in the cellar. Monty lies saying the cellar is flooded, and the living room is not an option as Jeff's parents may come visit tonight. Monty goes back in the house, up to his room, and sits on his bed visibly upset. When Courtney enters and asks what he is thinking, Monty tells her it feels unfair for him to be inside while Simon is outside. In the morning, Monty goes outside to bring Simon breakfast. After no answer to his knock on the van door, Monty opens the door and finds a note from Simon saying he knows Monty lied, so their deal is off. Monty screams in frustration.

Monty's cast if off, and he is in his bedroom printing something but gets easily frustrated and starts screaming at his printer. Courtney comes in and theorizes Monty's frustration is actually because he misses Simon. Christmas break begins and everyone is going home for break except Monty. Everett brings in his rooster to Monty's room since Monty will be watching it over break for him. It seems apparent that Monty is the only one of the roommates not to come from a wealthy family. Courtney invites Monty to come home with her for the holidays joking that he can do some cleaning since the maid will be off for the holidays. Monty politely declines saying he has too much work to do.

One day while eating lunch in the kitchen, Monty hears a knock on the back door. Monty answers the door and thinks it's Simon as the person has the Harvard blanket Monty gave to Simon wrapped around him, but it's not Simon. It is another homeless man who is a friend of Simon's. He says that Simon gave him the Harvard blanket for keeping the thesis safe and that Simon asked him to return the thesis to Monty along with a message, but that Monty would give him something to eat first. Monty makes the man a sandwich, and the man reads Monty the message from Simon that he wrote down on the back of a thesis page. Monty inquires about Simon's whereabouts and the man names a church's shelter where Simon is staying.

Monty goes to the church inquiring about the shelter. He is told there is no shelter at the church, but there is an alley nearby where many homeless people stay. Monty passes by several homeless people until he finds Simon having another coughing fit. Monty tries to help Simon up and take him to the hospital, but Simon makes Monty promise not to take him to a hospital no matter what happens. Monty reluctantly agrees. He helps Simon up and brings him home. Simon wakes up as Monty brings him breakfast. Monty tells him that the room was Boz's, but it's Simon's now and gives Simon a key to the house and says he has a doctor's appointment later that day. As Monty goes to leave, Simon tells him his health issues are with his lungs. He breathed in asbestos while working in the Merchant Marines. Eventually his lungs couldn't handle it anymore, and he was fired since he couldn't work anymore. Simon wants to know what their deal is now that Monty has his thesis back. Monty says there isn't a deal, but Simon insists that he needs to pay his own way. Monty says it's not necessary especially since Simon doesn't have the means, but Simon points out that he is entitled to disability benefits and will get them like Monty tried to help him do before. At the appointment, the doctor tells Monty that Simon is right about the asbestos and that there is nothing that can be done to treat it.

Monty reads through his thesis crossing out basically every page pausing when he comes across Simon's message written on the back. He crumples up the papers and throws them away. Then Simon calls up to Monty telling him dinner is served and to come downstairs. Monty comes down to see a big homemade dinner made by Simon. After telling Simon he must be feeling better if he went out shopping, Simon says he didn't go out and just used what was around commenting the only difficult part was the plucking. Monty gets a shocked look on his face and starts looking for the rooster realizing that Simon killed and cooked the rooster for dinner.

The three roommates return from Christmas break to find out Simon is now living in the house. Courtney and Everett are totally okay with it, and Courtney even seems happy to see Simon again. Monty tells them Simon is collecting social security, so Simon can pay rent and even kick in for groceries. Jeff is furious but no one cares about his objections saying if he wants to move out, Simon can cover his rent. Monty takes Everett into his room to tell him about the rooster. Everett walks out of Monty's room holding the rooster's empty cage saying he has a complaint, but surprisingly his complaint is that his van isn't fixed yet. Simon tells him that's because he ran out of wine to which everyone smiles at. Jeff goes into the bathroom and everyone else goes into their own separate room. Simon sneakily opens the door and smiles as he looks out realizing that everyone (other than Jeff) really is okay with the situation.

Simon finishes fixing the van and the group pop champagne as Simon drives the van around in circles as Everett jumps on top of it and pretends to be surfing. There is a musical montage as various scenes are shown with Simon hanging out with the roommates in various capacities including even being on Everett's radio show as a guest. There are also various scenes of Monty making progress on his thesis.

Jeff and Simon finally seem to have a breakthrough as they have a moment in the kitchen while upstairs, Courtney is reading the beginning of Monty's new thesis. Once she's finished, she tells him that Pitkannan is going to hate it as it is a completely opposite view than the professor's. Courtney says how much she loves it, but Monty expresses doubt he will be able to have it completed by its due date in four weeks. Courtney says he should ask for an extension, but Monty reminds her of the university policy that a student cannot graduate with honors if their thesis is not in by the due date. Courtney tells him that she believes he can do it, and the two seem to have a moment of possible romantic tension between them.

Monty brings Simon breakfast to find him studying obituaries in order to write his own. Simon points out a particularly depressing one stating the person had no survivors and no services. Simon asks Monty to read what he has so far. Monty tries to suggest doing it later, but Simon says he is not feeling well and needs his opinion now. Monty reads it aloud finding out that Simon had a wife and son that he left the same year his son was born. This strikes a chord with Monty who harbors resentment for his own father leaving his mother and him. Simon tells Monty he's not proud of it, but it doesn't do much to change Monty's attitude about it. Monty asks doesn't Simon want to see his son, but Simon responds asking Monty if he thinks his son would forgive him.

Everett comes home with invitations for Courtney and Monty to an exclusive pajama party being held but tells Jeff he couldn't get another one for him. Courtney remarks she will have to make up with the face to take him as her plus one. Jeff assumes Monty will take him as his date, but Monty says he already has a date. This stuns Courtney who jealously asks him about it. Monty says he's taking Simon as his plus one. Courtney says she'll take Jeff instead of the face then.

While entering the party, a girl asks Simon if he is Whitman's ghost. Simon tells Monty he should be hanging out with Courtney instead of him since he's in love with her. Monty admits his feelings but doubts that Courtney feels the same way about him or would want to be with him. Simon gives him a passionate speech about seizing the opportunity, even if it's only for a day or an hour. His speech is overheard by a beautiful woman standing behind him who asks him to dance. Simon says yes, and before he goes off to dance with her, he warns Monty to not let Courtney become a regret. Right after, Courtney gets into an argument with the guy she was dancing with and storms off. Monty follows Courtney and finds her outside sitting by a fountain. He approaches her and kisses her. The two continue kissing. Later at home, the two are laying in bed in a post coital bliss when they hear a noise from the hallway. Monty heads out to the hallway where he finds the noise was Simon falling down. Courtney says they should take him to a hospital, but Monty tells her he promised him no hospitals. Monty puts Simon in Monty's bed. Simon tells Monty a story about a dog he had when he was a kid. Simon tells him how when the dog knew he was dying, he went off into the woods to die alone and wouldn't let anyone come close to him. Simon asks Monty that if he survives the night if Monty will drive him to see his son tomorrow. Monty agrees even though his thesis is due the next day.

The next day Monty gets Simon into the van and ready for the trip. Jeff asks Monty about his thesis, and Monty admits it will be turned in late. As Monty, Courtney, Everett, and Simon are about to leave, Jeff asks Monty if he can come too. Monty says yes and everyone embarks on the trip up to Maine. They arrive at the house. Monty goes up and knocks on the door. Simon's son Frank, dressed in a suit, answers the door. Monty explains who he is and the purpose of their visit. As soon as Monty mentions his father, Frank's facial expression grows grim, and he says he doesn't have a father. Monty tells Frank his father is dying and begs him to walk over for a couple of minutes just so Simon can see him. Frank reluctantly agrees. The encounter is awkward. Simon apologizes and tells Frank he was wrong for leaving his family. Frank says he doesn't care about Simon's apology. Frank's daughter, who is Simon's granddaughter, comes outside and asks her father who Simon is. Frank says nobody, picks her up, and takes her back in the house. Simon, who initially smiled and was happy to see the little girl, grows visibly upset after hearing Frank say this. Simon stands up outside of the van, picks up a stone, and puts it in his bag along with his other memory stones.

On the ride back, Simon is in the back looking at a locket containing pictures of his wife on one side and a picture of him with his baby son on the other when he yells for them to stop the car. Once stopped, Simon opens the back door of the van, gets out, and starts to run toward the woods. Monty remembers the story about the dog and goes after him. When Monty catches up to Simon, Simon pushes him to the ground and tries to continue on. Monty gets up and stops him as Simon starts to have trouble breathing. Monty embraces Simon and tells him he's not a dog as the other roommates watch from outside the vehicle. Monty then picks Simon up and carries him back to the van. The group returns home and the three guys carry Simon up to his bedroom. Simon struggles to breath as Monty finds the Walt Whitman book given to Simon by Everett earlier in the movie. Each roommate takes turns reading the book to Simon until Simon peacefully dies. The four roommates attend a burial for Simon where Monty reads Simon's obituary that Simon wrote himself. The obituary says that Simon is survived by his family who he lists as the roommates each by name with something nice said about each of them after which Monty breaks down in tears. The four hug each other.

Monty meets with Pitkannan. Pitkannan tells Monty that while he disagrees with the ideas in Monty's thesis, he respects his independent approach and points out that not a lot of people agree with his thoughts either. Pitkannan informs Monty though that due to the lateness of the thesis, Monty will not be able to graduate with honors. Monty graciously thanks Pitkannan for being a great mentor to him, and the two shake hands. Next we see Harvard's graduation where the graduates are being announced. The student's name, major, and any honors are being announced. Monty's name is announced, and he smiles despite not graduating with honors. The four roommates are walking on campus holding their diplomas, and Monty picks up a stone from the ground before kissing Courtney.