Working with his three friends at their new software development company Skullbocks, Stanford graduate Milo Hoffman is recruited by Gary Winston, the CEO of the software corporation NURV. Milo is offered an attractive programming position with a large paycheck, an almost-unrestrained working environment, and extensive creative control over his work. After accepting, Hoffman and his girlfriend, Alice Poulson, move to NURV headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Despite development of the flagship product (Synapse, a worldwide media distribution network) being well on schedule, Hoffman soon becomes suspicious of the excellent quality source code that Winston personally provides to him, seemingly when needed most, while refusing to divulge the code's origin. After his best friend and fellow computer programmer, Teddy Chin, is murdered, Hoffman discovers that NURV is stealing the code they need from programmers around the world—including Chin—and then killing them. NURV not only employs an extensive surveillance system to observe and steal code, the company has infiltrated the Justice Department and most mainstream media. Even Hoffman's girlfriend is a plant, an ex-con hired by the company to spy on and manipulate him. In a secret NURV database of employee surveillance dossiers, Hoffman discovers highly-sensitive personal information about Lisa Calighan, a friendly co-worker. When he says he knows the company has this information about her, she agrees to help him expose NURV's crimes. Coordinating with Brian Bissel, Hoffman's old start-up friend, they plan to use a local public-access television station to hijack Synapse and globally broadcast their charges against NURV. However, Calighan is actually Winston's accomplice and foils Hoffman. When the plan fails, and as Winston prepares to kill Hoffman, a backup plan is put into motion. Off-screen, Hoffman had previously confronted and convinced Poulson to turn against NURV; she, the fourth member of Skullbocks, and NURV's incorruptible security contractors usurp one of NURV's own work centers—"Building 21"—and transmit incriminating evidence with the Synapse code. Calighan, Winston, and his entourage are arrested by the FBI for their crimes. After amicably parting ways with the redeemed Poulson, Hoffman rejoins Skullbocks.

Three young women—Kelly MacNamara, Casey Anderson, and Petronella "Pet" Danforth—perform in a rock band, the Kelly Affair, managed by Harris Allsworth, Kelly's boyfriend. The four travel to Los Angeles to find Kelly's estranged aunt, Susan Lake, heiress to a family fortune. After Susan promises Kelly a third of her inheritance, Porter Hall, her sleazy financial advisor, discredits Kelly as a " hippie " to dissuade Susan from dividing the fortune he secretly wants to embezzle. Undeterred, Susan introduces the Kelly Affair to a flamboyant, well-connected rock producer, Ronnie "Z-Man" Barzell, who coaxes them into an impromptu performance at one of his outrageous parties (after a set by the real-life band Strawberry Alarm Clock). The band is so well-received that Z-Man becomes their svengali manager, changing their name to the Carrie Nations and starting a long-simmering feud with Harris. Kelly drifts away from Harris and dates Lance Rocke, a high-priced gigolo, who has his own designs on her inheritance. After losing Kelly, Harris is seduced by the sexually aggressive porn star Ashley St. Ives. She soon tires of his conventional nature and waning libido due to increasing drug and alcohol intake. Harris's further descent into drug and alcohol use leads to a fistfight with Lance and a one-night stand with Casey, which results in pregnancy. Kelly ends her affair with Lance after he severely beats Harris. Casey, distraught at getting pregnant and wary of men's foibles, has a lesbian affair with fashion designer Roxanne, who pressures her to have an abortion. Pet has a seemingly enchanted romance with law student Emerson Thorne after a meet cute at one of Z-Man's parties. Their fairy-tale romance frays when Pet sleeps with Randy Black, a violent prize fighter who beats up Emerson and tries to run him down with a car. Porter offers Kelly $50,000 to relinquish any claim to Susan's inheritance. When Kelly angrily rejects his offer at one of Z-Man's parties, Susan learns of his underhanded ploy and severs her ties with him. The Carrie Nations release several records despite constant touring and drug use. Upset at being pushed to the sidelines, Harris attempts suicide by leaping from the rafters of a sound stage during a television appearance by the band. Harris survives the fall but becomes paraplegic from his injuries. Kelly devotes herself to caring for Harris, and Emerson forgives Pet for her infidelity. Casey and Roxanne share a tender romance, and Susan Lake is reunited with her former fiancé, Baxter Wolfe. This idyllic existence ends when Z-Man invites Casey, Roxanne, and Lance to a psychedelic -fueled party at his house. After Z-Man tries to seduce Lance, who spurns him, he reveals that he has breasts and is a female in drag. Z-Man goes on a murderous rampage: he kills Lance with a sword, stabs his servant Otto to death, and shoots Roxanne and Casey, killing them. Responding to a desperate phone call Casey made shortly before her death, Kelly, Harris, Pet, and Emerson arrive at Z-Man's house to subdue him. Pet is wounded in the melee, which ends in Z-Man's death. Harris is able to move his feet, which is the start of his recovery from paralysis. Three couples—Kelly and Harris, Pet and Emerson, and Susan and Baxter— wed while Porter watches from outside the courthouse window.

A G8 meeting is being held at the luxury Grand Hotel in Heiligendamm on the Mecklenburg Baltic coast in Germany. The world's most powerful economists are gathered to enact important provisions that will deeply influence the world economy. One of the guests is a mysterious Italian monk, invited by Daniel Roché, the director of the International Monetary Fund. He wants the monk to receive his confession, that night, in secret. The next morning, Roché is found dead.

Viktor Taransky, a disillusioned director who has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, struggles to complete his new film when Nicola Anders, the lead actress, refuses to finish the film. His ex-wife, Elaine, who is also an executive producer, is frustrated with Taransky's antics and informs him his contract isn't being renewed. Taransky remains close with their daughter, Lainey. Later that night, Taransky is approached by an old acquaintance, Hank Aleno, who tries discussing with him about an advanced program he created called “Simulation One” a program that enables the creation of a computer-generated woman, but Taransky quickly leaves. The next day, Taransky learns that Hank had passed away and left the program to him as his inheritance. Upon examining the program, Taransky realizes he can use it to play the film's central character. Taransky names his virtual actor "Simone", a composite name derived from the computer program's title, Sim ulation One. Seamlessly incorporated into the film, Simone's performance, controlled by Taransky, becomes the highlight at the premiere. The film is a huge success, with Simone quickly attracting a large fanbase around the world and revitalizing Taransky's filmmaking career. When questioned about Simone by the public, Taransky requests that her privacy be respected, but that merely intensifies media demands for her to appear. To satisfy demand, Taransky executes a number of progressively ambitious stunts that rely on misdirection and special effects. Two tabloid reporters discover that Taransky used out-of-date stock photography as the background during an interview. Threatening to expose Taransky, the reporters blackmail him into providing Simone for a live appearance. He arranges for her to perform a song at a stadium event, appearing in a cloud of smoke and using holographic technology. As a result of the concert, Simone becomes even more famous, simultaneously becoming a double winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress, tied with herself. Despite his success, Taransky grows tired of Simone constantly overshadowing him in the press, and his close relationship with Elaine has become strained due to the belief that Taransky and Simone are romantically involved. Deciding to ruin Simone, Taransky arranges Simone's "directorial debut" in her next film, I Am Pig, a tasteless treatment about zoophilia intended to disgust audiences. Not only does it fail to achieve the desired effect of audience alienation, it also serves to foster her credibility as an avant-garde artist. Taransky's subsequent attempts to discredit Simone by having her drink, smoke and curse at public appearances, and use politically incorrect statements backfire when she is praised for her honesty. Taransky attempts to have Simone be replaced in her next film by Nicola Anders, but Nicola, an avid fan of Simone, refuses to replace her. As a last resort, Taransky decides to completely dispose of Simone by using a computer virus to erase her, tossing the hard drive and floppy disks into a steamer trunk, and dumping it at sea. Shortly after, Taransky announces to the press that she had died from a rare virus. During the funeral, the police interrupt and arrest Taransky for the suspected murder of Simone. Taransky attempts to confess to police that Simone is a computer program, but fails to convince them. Taransky tries to prove it with the trunk containing the computer data, but when the trunk is retrieved from the ocean it is found empty, leading to further speculation from the public that Simone's remains were eaten by sharks. While Taransky is in custody, Lainey, who'd been suspicious of Simone's existence, investigates Taransky's studio with Elaine to help him. Together, they discover Simone is indeed a program, proving Taransky was telling the truth. Lainey finds the virus source disk (Plague) and applies an anti-virus program to eradicate the computer virus. To save Taransky, they restore Simone, having her appear on national television to prove she's alive, much to the public's relief (and to Taransky's horror). After his release, Taransky reconciles with his family. Together as a family again, they decide to continue the ruse with Simone and Taransky's "relationship" going public with a fake pregnancy announcement.

Dr. Larry Roberts, a renowned Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, performs cosmetic procedures on a clientele mainly consisting of female television models. Lisa Convey, one of his patients, falls into a trance state in her apartment after being exposed to a flash of light, unaware of the presence of a man lurking in her closet. She falls from her balcony moments later in what is suspected by police to be a suicide. Lieutenant Masters questions Roberts at his office, where his secretary finds that several medical records—including Lisa's—have mysteriously vanished. After Masters departs, patient Cindy Fairmont visits for a final follow-up appointment, followed by Tina Cassidy. A disturbed Tina begs Roberts to return her to her original appearance, claiming that the "perfect" models in the city are being murdered. As Tina departs, she leaves behind her purse, which contains a document from Digital Matrix Inc. (DMI). When Roberts attempts to return the purse to Tina, he sees a flash of light in her apartment window, and she too falls to her death. Roberts sees a man on her balcony, but he disappears. Fearing for Cindy's safety, Roberts invites her to join him for a fundraising dinner held by billionaire businessman John Reston, who introduces Roberts to the head of DMI, Jennifer Long. She explains that DMI used women's facial measurements for a visual technology experiment that was recently ended. Roberts then brings Cindy back to his residence and, despite her expectation of a romantic encounter, has her sleep in the guest room. The next day, Roberts accompanies Cindy to the filming of a television commercial where DMI technicians monitor the set using a computer. When Cindy is unable to hit her marks, the DMI technicians inform her that the commercial will be completed using CGI which will require Cindy to visit DMI. As Cindy undergoes a 3D body scan at the DMI laboratory, Jennifer tests Roberts' eyes with the computer. His point of focus is shown to be on the model rather than the products advertised. Jennifer divulges that, after surgery, Cindy and other models were assessed as visually "perfect" by the computer in still photos, but their scores were inconsistent while in motion. Roberts notices flashes of light from the "Looker" lab which Jennifer claims her security card will not allow them to enter. Roberts steals a security card from a technician before departing with Cindy and the theft is reported to Reston. While Cindy is visiting her parents, Roberts is exposed to a series of light flashes by the man from Tina's balcony after which hours pass without his awareness. When Cindy returns that night, the two drive to DMI and enter using the security card to breach the Looker lab. Roberts learns that Looker stands for "light ocular-oriented kinetic emotive responses" which uses high-intensity light to induce trances in those exposed. A man enters the Looker lab and attacks Roberts using the Looker gun. Roberts defends himself by using a pair of mirrored sunglasses to reflect the light, immobilizing the assailant. Later, Reston orders the man to abduct Cindy and murder Roberts. Arriving at Roberts's office, they kidnap Cindy. The next morning, Roberts is chased through the city by Reston's henchman, causing Roberts to crash his car, but he escapes. Roberts stows aboard a Reston Industries security car to infiltrate the company headquarters. Onstage for a gala demonstration, Reston introduces his company's newfound ability to create commercials using computer-generated actors. The audience is then mesmerized by Jennifer who is operating the computer from the room where she is holding Cindy. When Jennifer leaves the console, Reston's henchman kills her having mistaken her for Roberts. A struggle between Roberts and the henchman is ended by Reston shooting at Roberts and accidentally killing his own man. Lieutenant Masters, who has been following Roberts, arrives in time to kill Reston before he can shoot Roberts.

It tells the story of the first virtual state a globally composed collective of hundreds of people founded on the Internet. They want to counteract the mere words of politics. Every week the citizens of the 8th Wonderland vote on the next actions, for example, the Vatican is decorated with condom machines, a Darwin Bible is printed in large numbers, an atomic deal between Russia and Iran is prevented by very deliberate mistranslation and football professionals worth millions are sold in a Chinese sweatshop shipped to the handmade mass shoe production. With their radicalizing actions, the web revolutionaries are shaking not only the international media but also the Western secret services. When John McClane, an impostor, claims to be the founder and head of the 8th Wonderland and exploits its popularity for commercials, the Internet partisans must act if they want to save face. They bring down a multinational company and force the G8 heads of state to initiate an anti-HIV program. At the same time, terrorist attacks are carried out military conflicts are provoked and the blame is placed on 8. Wonderland, even though the country has nothing to do with it. The mood in the population turns against the country and McClane is ultimately shot while attempting to escape. Shortly before the secret services destroy the server farm of the 8th Wonderland, McClane sends a video to all television stations in which he announces that he has nothing to do with the 8th Wonderland and that the 8th Wonderland is not responsible for the terrorist attacks. After the destruction of the 8th Wonderland, the 9th Wonderland is founded, which ties in with the actions of the previous country.

American salesman Alan Clay is sent to sell a holographic teleconferencing system to the Saudi government by overseeing a presentation for the King of Saudi Arabia. Clay was offered the job solely because he once met a nephew of the King. Clay is haunted by a previous job at the Schwinn Bicycle Company, where he oversaw the outsourcing of their production to China, which led to hundreds of layoffs in the US. He is also depressed by a messy and costly divorce, which leaves him unable to afford to send his daughter to college. Oversleeping on his first day in Jeddah, due to jet lag, he misses the shuttle bus to the King's Metropolis of Economy and Trade, a largely unfinished planned city in the desert, where Clay is scheduled to give his sales presentation. He hires a driver, Yousef, who describes being in love with a woman whose wealthy and jealous husband has led Yousef to fear for his life. After arriving, Clay is informed that neither the King nor his direct contact, Karim Al-Ahmed, are there. Clay's team is placed in a tent outside the office building, which lacks food and workable internet access. Clay repeatedly oversleeps and calls Yousef repeatedly to drive him to the development. They become closer during the long drives. At the development, he is repeatedly put off and confined to the tent. One day, he slips inside the building and meets Danish executive Hanne. She is sympathetic to his plight, but cannot help him get in contact with the King or Karim Al-Ahmed. She offers him alcohol disguised as olive oil, which Clay has missed since arriving in Saudi Arabia. That night, Clay gets drunk and tries to cut open a lump on his back. Waking the next day, covered with blood from the cut, he goes to a hospital, where he develops an immediate connection with Zahra, the doctor treating him. She performs a biopsy and asks him to return in a few days. After more days without progress, Clay is invited by Hanne to a party at the Danish consulate, where she unsuccessfully tries to seduce him. The next day, after the tent's air conditioning breaks, Clay becomes upset. He again slips into the office building and finally meets Karim Al-Ahmed. Karim assures Clay he will take care of the team's problems but cannot give him a date for the presentation. He shows Clay a new, totally empty condominium development. Back in Jeddah, Clay has a panic attack at his hotel. Mistaking it for a stroke, he calls Zahra and Yousef. Yousef, arriving shortly after Zahra, notices how close they are and after she leaves, chastises Alan for endangering her by making advances, which Clay vehemently denies. Yousef confesses the jealous husband has threatened him and flees to his home town in the mountains for the weekend to let things cool down. Clay accompanies him, passing through Mecca, a city prohibited to non-Muslims. After returning, Clay learns his lump contains precancerous cells and should be removed the next day. When returning to the development, Clay notices the technical problems have been resolved, and successfully gives the King his presentation. However, soon after, Clay learns the Saudis have made a deal with a Chinese company, which can offer a similar product at a cheaper rate. The next day, the operation begins with an unknown male doctor, but at the last moment, Zahra takes over, to Clay's delight. After the procedure, Clay and Zahra exchange increasingly personal and intimate emails, which culminate in a secret meeting. They talk about their families, and Zahra explains she has children and is going through a messy divorce. They are driven to Zahra's beach house, where they go swimming and have sex. Clay writes to his daughter, telling her the deal was unsuccessful but that he has taken a well-paid job selling condominiums in the unfinished city, which will allow him to pay for college for her, and has found a new positive force in his life with Zahra.

When an Amacore oil rig in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia proves unproductive, Captain Frank Towns and co-pilot A.J. are sent to shut down the operation and transport the crew – Amacore executive Ian, rig supervisor Kelly, Rodney, Davis, Liddle, Jeremy, Sammi, Rady, Kyle, Newman, and Dr. Gerber – out of the desert. However, en route to Beijing, a major dust storm disables one engine, forcing them to crash land their C-119 Flying Boxcar in an uncharted area of the Gobi Desert. Kyle falls to his death and the crash kills Dr. Gerber and Newman. Their cargo consists of used parts and tools from the rig, the rig's crew, and Elliott, a hitchhiker. When the dust storm ends, it becomes apparent that they are 200 miles (320 km) off course with only a month's supply of water. Jeremy thinks about walking to get help, but Rady explains that July is the hottest month in the Gobi, and that he won't make it. In the middle of the night, Davis goes out to urinate without informing anybody, trips, gets lost in a sandstorm, and dies. The group panics after a failed search for him, and Kelly argues with Frank, who says that walking out of the desert would fail and that their only option is to await rescue. The group initially agrees but reconsiders after Elliott, claiming to be an aeronautical engineer, pitches a radical idea: rebuild the wreckage of their C-119 into a functional aircraft. Frank initially refuses, which causes Liddle to wander off on his own in protest. Frank attempts to find him. He comes across a valley littered with debris, cargo from the aircraft, which dropped out when the tail was torn open. Among the debris he discovers the bullet-ridden and stripped body of Kyle. Liddle says he will only go back with him if they build the plane, and Frank agrees. They struggle for several weeks building the new aircraft, through dust storms, lack of water, and fighting amongst the group. Rady christens it Phoenix after the legendary bird. A problem evolves when a group of smugglers camp nearby; when Ian, A.J., and Rodney attempt to communicate. However, once Liddle spots Kyle's watch on a bandit's wrist, the bandits open fire, wounding Rodney. Frank kills one and captures the other, but after a short debate, Elliott unilaterally shoots the final bandit in the head, then rebukes the group for wasting water, time, and effort on a foolish mission, blaming Frank for allowing it. The two fight briefly and Elliott quits the project. Elliott refuses to continue until everyone verbally says, "please" and acknowledges that he is in charge. After finishing the Phoenix Frank discovers that Elliott's aircraft design experience has been restricted to the design of model aircraft, much to the anger of everyone. While everyone argues, Ian quietly locates the Bandit's pistol and nearly shoots Elliott before Frank intervenes. In high wind, Liddle notices the plane slowly lifting on its own, proving Elliott's design theory, and the group stops fighting. However, the following storm buries most of their supplies, the original fuselage, and most of the Phoenix itself. Frank rallies the group and inspires them to keep working to reach their loved ones and they eventually dig out the Phoenix. With only a few attempts to start the engine, Frank tries a risky procedure to clear the fuel cylinders, but it works, and the engine revs to life. The noise draws additional smugglers, who open fire on the craft and disable the rudder. Elliott manages to fix the problem during takeoff. The Phoenix plummets off the edge of a cliff at the end of their runway, but the additional airspeed from the fall allows Frank to pull up and fly away. Through a series of photos, we see what became of the survivors when they made it back to civilization. All have been revitalized by the experience and have happy lives: Frank and A.J. start their own airline (appropriately named Phoenix Aviation), Sammi and his wife start their own restaurant (Jeremy and Rady are there to celebrate), Liddle is reunited with his wife and kids, Ian enjoys golf by taking early retirement, Kelly is boss on an ocean oil rig, and Elliott is wearing a flight suit on a Flight International magazine cover with the headline: " NASA 's New Hope?"

In the late 20th century, unexplained apocalyptic disasters devastate the world. Most knowledge and technology from the past has apparently been lost, and the former United States reverts to an unconnected pre-industrial society. In 2013, a nomad traveling to St. Rose, Oregon wanders the Western U.S., trading performances of long-forgotten Shakespearean plays for food and water. In one town, the nomad is impressed into the Holnists, a neo-feudalist militia obsessed with a misinterpreted self-help book that serves as the region's tyrannical authority, led by General Bethlehem. The nomad, dubbed "Shakespeare" by Bethlehem, faces harassment by Captain Idaho, who mentions Colonel Getty once challenged Bethlehem for leadership; Bethlehem won the fight and mutilated Getty. The nomad is sent to kill a lion, but he escapes by jumping into a river. Idaho arrives and forces the nomad and another conscript to fight to the death. Idaho kills the conscript, but before he can shoot the nomad, the lion kills him. The nomad flees and takes refuge in an abandoned United States Postal Service Jeep DJ, burning letters and wearing the long-deceased postal carrier's coat to stay warm. Now donning the postal uniform and mail bag, the nomad arrives in the town of Pineview and is held at gunpoint by their leader, Sheriff Briscoe. To avoid execution, the nomad claims to be a "Postman" from the newly-restored U.S. federal government, presenting a letter addressed to elderly villager Irene March as proof. The Postman inspires teenager Ford Lincoln Mercury, who he swears in as a postal carrier and helps reactivate Pineview's abandoned post office. That evening, the Postman is approached by Abby and her husband Michael, who is sterile, to conceive a child for them. The following morning, the Postman leaves for the town of Benning, taking Pineview's mail and packages with him. The postman delivers letters to Benning, bringing the residents hope. Meanwhile, during a raid on Pineview, Bethlehem learns of the Postman's claim of a restored government in Minneapolis. Fearing his loss of power if word spreads, Bethlehem has the post office razed, kills Michael, and abducts Abby. Benning repels a raid by Bethlehem, and the Postman offers to negotiate for them; however, General Bethlehem does not recognize the Postman, refuses to negotiate, and orders him killed. The Postman and Abby flee into the surrounding mountains, where they recover over the winter in an abandoned cabin. In the spring, they leave and encounter another postal carrier, who reveals that Mercury has kept the Postal Service alive by recruiting other carriers and opening more post offices, connecting settlements across the former U.S. and forming a quasi-society in the "Restored United States". Bethlehem, threatened by the rise of the Restored U.S., persecutes and publicly executes postal carriers. Wracked by guilt for their deaths, the Postman reads a fake announcement from the President of the Restored U.S. ordering the Postal Service to disband, and writes a confession to Bethlehem admitting that the Restored U.S. was a lie. Bethlehem orders the execution of Mercury and another postal carrier, and redoubles his efforts to hunt down the Postman. The Postman, Abby, and a group of young postal carriers travel to Bridge City, tailed by Holnist scouts, who reveal Bethlehem is looking for the Postman. The Postman organizes a Restored U.S. Army to face the Holnists in a pitched battle. Unwilling to allow further bloodshed, the Postman reveals to Bethlehem that he is "Shakespeare" and challenges him to a one-on-one duel for power with their troops as witnesses; per Holnist traditions, Bethlehem accepts. The Postman wins the hand-to-hand fight, but spares Bethlehem's life to maintain morale. Bethlehem tries to shoot the Postman as he turns away, but is shot dead by Getty, who disarms the Holnists. Thirty years later in 2043, the Postman dies at the age of 70. His adult daughter Hope speaks at a ceremony unveiling a memorial honoring his efforts in St. Rose, part of the Restored U.S., with the implication that modern society and technology have returned following the country's reestablishment.

David and Diana Murphy are married high school sweethearts living in California. Diana is working as a real estate agent, while David hopes to establish himself as an architect by designing their dream home. The couple invest everything they have in David's project, purchasing beachfront property in Santa Monica, California and beginning construction but the recession leaves Diana without houses to sell and David without a job. In desperate need of $50,000 to save their land from being repossessed, they travel to Las Vegas to gamble with the last of their savings. At a casino, Diana catches the eye of high roller John Gage, while David wins over $25,000 at craps. Reveling in their winnings, Diana assures David that she loves him regardless of the money. The next day, they lose everything at roulette; leaving the casino, they notice a crowd gathered to watch Gage play baccarat. Gage asks Diana to join him for good luck and she makes a winning craps roll on his $1 million bet. As thanks, Gage insists on paying for the Murphys' stay, giving them a lavish hotel suite and a dress he saw Diana admire. After an enjoyable evening together, Gage offers the couple $1 million to allow him to spend a night with Diana, with David flatly refusing. Later, Diana convinces David to agree to Gage's proposal. David contacts his lawyer Jeremy Green, who prepares a contract for the arrangement. Leaving Diana with Gage, David has a change of heart and races to stop them but arrives just as they depart by helicopter. Gage flies Diana to his private yacht and offers her a chance to void their deal and return to David if he loses a toss of his lucky coin. He wins the toss and Diana spends the night with him. Agreeing to forget the incident, the Murphys return home to discover that the bank had already foreclosed on and sold their land. Overcome with anger and jealousy, David accuses Diana of continuing to see Gage after finding his business card in her wallet, which she denies knowing about. Discovering that it was Gage who bought out their land, Diana angrily confronts him and rejects his attempts to pursue her. When she informs David, their tension reaches a breaking point and they separate; Diana allows David to keep the $1 million. Weeks later, Gage visits Diana at work and renews his advances. Initially resistant, she eventually consents to spending time with him and a romance develops between them. David, meanwhile, turns to alcohol and eventually hits rock bottom, leading to a public confrontation with Gage and Diana. He pulls his life back together and finds a teaching position and Diana files for divorce. Finding her at a zoo benefit with Gage, David donates the entire $1 million in a charity auction bid, then makes his peace with Diana and signs their divorce papers. Realizing that Diana will never love him the way she loves David, Gage lies to her that she is merely the latest member of his "million-dollar club" of women. Seeing through his deception, she gratefully ends their relationship; before parting ways, he gives her his lucky coin, which she realizes is double headed. Diana returns to the pier where David proposed to her seven years earlier, finding him there. Repeating their unique declaration of love, they join hands.

Nine-year-old Jimmy Woods lives with PTSD after his twin sister, Jennifer, drowned two years earlier. Prone to randomly wandering away from home, he perpetually carries around a lunchbox while frequently repeating the word " California ". Jennifer's death caused Jimmy's family to split: he lives with his mother Christine and stepfather Mr. Bateman while his older half-brothers Nick and Corey live with their father Sam. Exasperated by Jimmy's behavior, Christine and Mr. Bateman decide to commit Jimmy to an institution. Unwilling to allow it, Corey sneaks Jimmy out and they start traveling on foot for Los Angeles. Nick and Sam resolve to bring the boys back while competing with Mr. Putnam, a greedy bounty hunter hired by Mr. Bateman and Christine to find Jimmy but not Corey. At a bus station, Jimmy and Corey meet Haley Brooks, a teenager on her way home to Reno. When they discover that Jimmy is innately talented at playing video games, Haley informs Corey of "Video Armageddon", a gaming tournament being held at Universal Studios Hollywood, with a grand prize of $50,000. Corey sees the tournament as an opportunity to avert Jimmy's institutionalization by showcasing his talent, and Haley agrees to help take Jimmy there in return for a share of the winnings. The trio hitchhike cross-country, using Jimmy's skills to win bets on games. They eventually meet popular but snobbish gamer Lucas Barton, who demonstrates his ability to play Rad Racer with a Power Glove and informs Haley he will also be competing. Corey and Haley learn that Jimmy's lunchbox contains photos and mementos of Jennifer. The trio arrive in Reno, gaining more money with help from Haley's trucker friend Spanky whom Haley coaches to success at a casino's craps table. Jimmy then begins training on arcade machines with help from the Nintendo Power Line. The children escape from Putnam to Haley's trailer where she reveals she wants her share of the prize money to help her father buy a proper house. Putnam finds Haley's trailer and captures Jimmy, but Haley summons several truckers who barricade Putnam on the road and rescue Jimmy. After Spanky drives the children to the tournament, Jimmy enters and becomes a finalist after playing Ninja Gaiden. In between rounds, Putnam unsuccessfully attempts to re-apprehend the children. Jimmy, Lucas, and third finalist Mora Grissom compete in the tournament's final round – they have 10 minutes to score as many points as possible in Super Mario Bros. 3, a brand-new game not yet released in the United States. Cheered on by his family, Haley, and even Putnam, Jimmy wins at the last second, becoming the tournament champion and earning the cash prize. As the entire family heads home, accompanied by Haley, Jimmy suddenly becomes restless upon spotting the Cabazon Dinosaurs, causing them to stop the car. They follow him inside, and Corey finds Jimmy looking at his photos of the family, one of which was taken at the tourist trap. They realize that Jimmy only sought closure where Jennifer was happy. Jimmy leaves his lunchbox at the site and the family resumes the car trip. Haley kisses Jimmy and Corey on the cheek. Jimmy then kisses Haley back on the cheek, who laughs along with Corey in the back of the truck as they ride off into the sunset.