In Depression-era Winnipeg, a legless beer baroness hosts a contest for the saddest music in the world, offering a grand prize of $25,000.

Three young friends--Hart, Dean, and Chad--defend a hot young ice cream parlour employee, Brooker, from her abusive boss, Mikey, but inadvertently kill him in the process, forcing all of them to go on the run from the law in the form of Mikey's father, Police Chief Benton.