在录像带店工作的店员艾德(马修·麦康纳 Matthew McConaughey 饰)是一个普通的不能再普通的三十岁男人,就连他自己也想象不到,有一天,自己竟然成为了家喻户晓的电视名人。原来,电视台节目总监辛西娅(艾伦·德詹尼丝 Ellen DeGeneres 饰)的事业遭遇了滑铁卢,日渐低迷的收视率让她的职位受到了巨大的威胁,在这个节骨眼上,她决定制作一档二十四小时连续放送的大型真人秀节目,而节目的主人公正是艾德。 很快,艾德的名字便响彻了大江南北,名声和利益接踵而至,让一向不引人注目的艾德尝尽了一夜成名的梦幻滋味。然而,随着时间的推移,艾德发现自己的出名带来的并不只是美好的一面,渐渐显露出的贪婪的人心和无处不在的监视和束缚让他开始想要回到曾经简单快乐自由自在的生活中去。
At Christine's funeral, her foster son suddenly shows up, a grown-up man with whom the family has been out of contact for quite some time. He brought a letter, stating that Christine wants to be buried in Wentelen, to the bewilderment of her biological children, and even more so to that of her husband. In addition to that, all the relatives are surprised that the foster son of Christine apparently maintained a correspondence with Christine. Nevertheless, Christine's last wish is respected, and they decided to bury her in Wentelen, and wish to do so traditionally, meaning walking behind the hearse. During a walk of several days, all the relatives (foster sisters, foster father, alleged friends and real ones, the foster son, lovers) have enough time to get to know each other better. Because in the end they have no other conclusion than that nobody really knew anyone. Old intrigues are dug up, the foster sisters finally learn why the foster brother just disappeared from the family, and they can begin to develop a real image of the mother. Once Christine's final resting place is reached and she is buried, all family ties, good and bad, are shaken around.