Choreographing and picking dancers for his current show whilst editing his feature film about a stand‐up comedian is getting to Joe Gideon. Without the chemical substances, he would not have the energy to keep up with his girlfriend, his ex‐wife, and his special dancing daughter. They attempt to bring him back from the brink, but it's too late for his exhausted  body  and stress‐ravaged  heart.  He  chain‐smokes,  uses  drugs, sleeps  with  his  dancers  and  overworks himself  into  open‐heart  surgery.  Scenes  from  his  past  life  start  to  encroach  on  the  present  and  he  becomes increasingly aware of his mortality.