Recent law school dropout Troy Gable (Colin Hanks) answers an ad for a "Road Manager and Personal Assistant for Celebrity Performer", thinking it will break him into the entertainment industry. In actual fact, he has signed on to work for Buck Howard (John Malkovich), a has-been magician trying to revitalize his waning career. With the help of a fiery publicist (Emily Blunt), Troy and Buck embark on a cross-country tour in hopes of staging the comeback of a lifetime.