New to the city's Sunrise Hills subdivision, electrical engineer David Martin and wife Jean are welcomed by their neighbors. They include appliance store manager Herman Kreitzer, auto mechanic Troy Boone and car salesman Jerry Flagg, plus their wives. Leola, the unhappy wife of Troy, wants to have a child. A war veteran, Troy has applied for the position of police chief. He refuses to discuss children until the job is his. Frequently drunk, Jerry awkwardly makes passes at the other men's wives, humiliating his own spouse, Isabelle. He also is heavily in debt, spending far too much on things he can't afford. He pressures a family to buy a car beyond their means, endangering his job.