Director Ilya Chaiken explores the lives of Tico and Derrick, two friends and former Statue of Liberty employees who lost their jobs in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. Tico is a quick-tempered youth who responds to his unemployment dilemma by dabbling in petty street crime and half-baked scams. Meanwhile, Tico's friend Derrick becomes convinced that the only means of providing for his family is to finally give in to the persistent Army recruiters who have been hounding him for months. As the situation begins to get desperate and neither of the pair proves successful at landing a legitimate job, each struggles to make ends meet by any means necessary.