Jimmy O'Brien (Frank Whaley) leads a life of quiet desperation in northern New Jersey, living with his wheelchair-bound grandmother (Lynne Cohen), his wife Annie (Carla Gugino), and his young daughter. A failed inventor, Jimmy's latest dead-end job is at a supermarket, where he stocks shelves with his friend Ray (Ethan Hawke), an amiable pothead. But what Jimmy really wants to be is a standup comic. He decides to follow his dream at an open mike night at a low-rent nightclub. Failing on his first night, Jimmy becomes obsessed with honing his craft. His efforts lead to the disintegration of his marriage and the loss of his job. However, the mounting disappointments in his downward-spiraling life only serve to fuel his routines, which resemble therapy sessions more than comedy. Based on VEINS AND THUMBTACKS, a play by Jonathan Marc Sherman, THE JIMMY SHOW is a bleak portrait of failed dreams and unfulfilled potential. Whaley, who also wrote and directed, has effectively transformed the source material into a suitably cinematic work. The film's heart lies in the scenes where Jimmy takes to the comedy club stage. Though he's shaky at first, it becomes the only place where he is in control. Onstage, Whaley imbues the beaten Jimmy with temporary confidence, fending off hecklers as if protecting his territory.