Marty is a nice guy, living with his mother in the Bronx, hanging around with similarly socially inept friends, dreaming of owning his own butcher's shop, and maybe even finding a girl to love. The people around him don't think Marty will make anything more of himself than he already has--life is comfortable, why would Marty want to change? But when Marty meets Clara, a schoolteacher with similar aspirations, Marty is motivated to do remarkable things.