Troy Gable (Colin Hanks), a recent law school dropout in Los Angeles, is searching for a job when he comes across a personal assistant position advertised in the local paper. He attends the interview for the position at a local restaurant, where he meets and is struck by the Great Buck Howard (John Malkovitch), a waning mentalist. Although skeptical of Buck, Troy is convinced the job will be an exciting change from his ordinarily mundane life and goes on the road with Buck playing for half-empty houses in small towns and cities across the country.

Although Buck can be prickly and harsh and his act is corny, he always impresses the small town crowds and Troy sees that Buck is truly in his element. For his signature trick, Buck’s performance fee is hidden in the audience while Buck waits in his dressing room and when he returns, he picks it out of the crowd. He never fails.