Roy Scheider stars in this musical drama co-written and directed by Bob Fosse which is inspired by aspects of Fosse's career as a dancer, choreographer and director. Joe Gideon (Scheider) is driving himself to exhaustion as he attempts to balance editing a film he has just directed with staging his new musical on Broadway. An alcoholic, workaholic womaniser, he is increasingly dissatisfied with his progress and his worsening behaviour ultimately heralds his destruction.