This is the story of Ed Brown ("The Man"), a curmudgeon who lived and worked (as a mechanic) in a Los Angeles barrio. Ed, a hard drinking and bigoted pessimist, finds himself irritated by the enthusiastic optimism of Chico Rodriguez, a young man from the neighborhood who comes in looking for work, and who won't take no for an answer. But over time, Ed warms up to the young man and their relationship evolves into one similar to father and son (despite Ed's denials of this).