The film chronicles the friendships and romantic dalliances between three young singletons living in Echo Park, a down-at-heel neighbourhood popular with struggling actresses and musicians: May (Susan Dey), a single mother and would-be actress who earns her way by waitressing; May's room-mate Jonathan (Tom Hulce), a pizza deliverer and aspiring songwriter; and their neighbour August (Michael Bowen), an Austrian body builder who dreams of becoming the next Arnold Schwarzenegger.