Set in 1990, the protagonist is Jon, played by Garfield, a young, ambitious musical composer. He works as a waiter in New York while writing a musical called "Superbia" in the hope of rising to the top and starting his career. But he feels pressure from his girlfriend Susan, who is tired of letting her boyfriend's career control her life; at the same time, Jon's roommate Michael has given up his dream of creating music and taken a high-paying job in advertising. Jon, who is almost 30, is very anxious: Is his dream worth fighting for?