An unhappy car dealer believes that a dime-store philosopher has the answers to life's important questions.

Mark Kaminsky is kicked out of the FBI for his rough treatment of a suspect. He winds up as the sheriff of a small town in North Carolina. FBI Chief Harry Shannon, whose son has been killed by a mobster named Patrovina, enlists Kaminsky in a personal vendetta with a promise of reinstatement into the FBI if Patrovina is taken down. To accomplish this, he must go undercover and join Patrovina's gang.

In a small town in rural Kansas, a troubled veteran attempts to restore an old merry-go-round ride.