Wendell "Sonny" Lawson (Reynolds), an unscrupulous real-estate promoter, learns that he has a fatal blood disease and decides to commit suicide rather than endure a slow, painful death. He then takes the time to meet with several friends and family members for one last time, while hiding the fact that he plans to end his own life. After a suicide attempt, Sonny ends up in a mental institution, where he very quickly befriends fellow patient, Marlon Borunki (DeLuise), a deranged schizophrenic murderer, and enlists Borunki's help with his suicide