吉娜维芙·冈特

唐纳德（科林·费斯ColinFirth饰）是一名郁郁不得志的小企业家，他发明的新式航海仪因为受众面太窄而得不到市场的认可，这令他感到无颜面对家人。泰晤士报举办的环球航行大赛吸引了唐纳德的注意，他绝对放手一搏参加比赛，以挽回自己最后的尊严。这比赛非常的艰苦，唐纳德必须独自一人完成漫长的赛程，在此期间船只不能够靠岸。起初的亢奋平息之后，唐纳德渐渐被对于未知的恐惧所包围，可此时他所居住的小镇和周围的邻居家人们已经将他视作航海英雄，对他寄予厚望，这令唐纳德骑虎难下，只得硬着头皮上了。唐纳德所担心的意外接二连三的发声了。

Autumn 1977. Derek Springfield is an 18-year-old misfit, who 5 years earlier was plucked from his home in the industrial outskirts of Leeds to attend Public School on a scholarship. He has just returned home at the end of his studies to await his Oxbridge results that he's hoping will result in his permanent escape. Life at home is awkward for the brainy lad and embarrassing for his working class family who can't relate his feckless dad, no-nonsense mum and two older brothers, one a football hopeful and the other a distinctly dodgy acquirer of flash consumer goods.　　Derek kills time by walking a no hope greyhound, Slapper, and loving out-of-his league Chrissie from afar. But under Derek's loving care Slapper gets faster - so fast she's stolen for her racing potential. Derek despairs at being completely alone once more but Chrissie gets the local community to keep watch. Slapper eventually escapes from her furious captors at an illegal flapper track. Exhausted, she somehow finds her way back and is reunited with Derek who tries to nurse her back to health his bedroom without his family finding out.　　Derek, Chrissie and Slapper disguise themselves to avoid the dognappers and try their luck at racing her at a proper dog track. The dognappers and all the Springfields converge on the stadium for the exciting climax.　　Its also the day Derek's results are due...

A group of friends live their lives in London, imitating art and enjoying a fast-paced lifestyle.