The film takes place during a 24-hour period. Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) is the metro editor of the ''New York Sun'', a fictional New York City tabloid. He is a workaholic who loves his job, but the long hours and low pay are leading to discontent. He is at risk of experiencing the same fate as his editor-in-chief, Bernie White (Robert Duvall), who put his work first at the expense of his family.