Because his background is military rather than professional, he has not been able to establish a career in the US and works as a trash collector and convenience store clerk.

His fellow Iranian exiles, who are more successful and enjoy greater financial security, are unaware that he holds low-skilled jobs.

Meanwhile, Kathy Nicolo, a former drug addict who is still recovering from her husband’s abrupt departure, has been evicted from her home, long owned by her family, because of unpaid taxes the county wrongfully claimed she owed.

When the house is placed for auction, Behrani seizes the opportunity and purchases it, depleting his son's entire college fund.

While the novel suggests that experiences in Lester Burdon's youth were responsible for some of his rash decisions, the movie does not attempt to explain any of his motivations.