Nick Halsey (Ferrell) was once a successful salesman with a happy marriage, but years of drinking are finally catching up with him, as he's fired from his job and his wife has decided she's had enough. Nick's wife has kicked him out of the house and moved all his possessions onto their front lawn; hoping retain a bit of dignity and maybe raise some cash as he plots his next move, Nick puts a yard sale sign on his stuff and tries to convince the neighbors (and the cops) that he's simply selling some junk he doesn't need anymore. As Nick makes believe he isn't homeless in between beers, he strikes up a friendship with a kid from the neighborhood (Christopher Jordan Wallace), tries to reconnect with a girl he loved in high school (Laura Dern), and bonds with his neighbor Samantha (Rebecca Hall), who is pregnant and struggling to get by while her husband is away on business.