在底特律老虎队服役19年的灵魂人物比利契波（凯文科斯纳饰演）面临生命的低谷：这个赛季球队表现不佳，自己的旧伤复发，老东家将出售球队，新东家一接手就将把他转会，他的女朋友珍欧柏瑞（凯莉普瑞斯顿饰演）要远赴英国。在充满敌意的客场上，他孤零零地站在投手板上，奋力的投出每一球，并且重新审视自己的一生。

　　白人历史教师丹•邓恩（瑞恩•高斯林 饰），在纽约布鲁克林一家破旧的公立中学教书，他的学生多是黑人。丹有激情和创造力，热爱学生，不遵循官方教学大纲，相信黑格尔辩证法，认为历史本质由相反力作用而成。他使得纸页间枯燥的历史生动鲜活，鼓励学生思考和分析历史，及自己周遍世界的运作法则，学生成为丹存活于社会的救生索。晚上，他是不可救药的瘾君子。　　这种分裂的生活没有能持续多久，丹某次在空无一人的女更衣室吸毒而虚脱，被他的黑人女学生德丽（莎莉卡•艾普斯 饰）发现。共同保守的阴暗秘密，拉近了他们的关系，也改变了各自的生活。

　Astrid Nielsen, works in the library of the judicial police. Suffering from Asperger's syndrome, however, she has an incredible memory, so she is very useful in analyzing the files for ongoing investigations. The district commander, having noticed this ability, decides to use it to the fullest, entrusting her with very complex investigations which have remained unsolved to date. In addition, also to reciprocate, he will try to help Astrid on the behavioral side, in order to provide mutual help.

　　Astrid Nielsen, works in the library of the judicial police. Suffering from Asperger's syndrome, however, she has an incredible memory, so she is very useful in analyzing the files for ongoing investigations. The district commander, having noticed this ability, decides to use it to the fullest, entrusting her with very complex investigations which have remained unsolved to date. In addition, also to reciprocate, he will try to help Astrid on the behavioral side, in order to provide mutual help.