An avid smoker, a loafer named Jonathan Lauenstein lives in Los Angeles, away from his wealthy family living in New York. One day he receives a letter stating that his father, who has been fighting cancer for 10 years, is dying and he has 36 hours to live. He immediately goes to New York to his father. Jonathan's father says he is tired of fighting cancer and will kill himself the next day at 8 o’clock. Jonathan is joined by his mother Rachel and his younger sister, Karen, a law school student. Karen does not support her father’s decision and is ready to get a court order to stop him.