In a Los Angeles, California, hospital, Dr. Jack MacKee and his associate, Dr. Murray Kaplan, joke, laugh, and sing while performing life-saving heart surgery on a young man who survived a suicide attempt. Afterward, Jack and Murray pass their colleague, Dr. Eli Blumfield, in the hallway and ridicule him for talking to his unconscious patients during surgery. Later, Jack flippantly addresses a female patient’s concerns about post-surgical staple scars in her chest, saying they give her the look of a “centerfold.” Jack returns home to his schoolteacher wife, Anne, and their son, Nicky. Although Anne expects Jack to join her for a school event that evening, he has made other plans, as he has in the past. Jack and Anne meet afterward, and she is alarmed that he is coughing up blood, which he attributes to a persistent sore throat. In the morning, Jack instructs a group of medical residents to avoid personal involvement with patients, believing it is inefficient. That afternoon, Dr. Leslie Abbot discovers a tumor on Jack’s larynx, which she plans to biopsy in the morning. Jack is stunned by the news, as well as by Dr. Abbot’s emotional detachment. That evening, Jack surprises Anne by coming home in time for dinner, and shares the news about his tumor. She accompanies him to the hospital the next day, and both are annoyed by the impersonal treatment he receives from the staff. Jack shares a hospital room with Ralph Brown, a policeman with an intestinal disorder, who warns that doctors lie to their patients at least half the time. Jack returns from his biopsy, and while he is still under sedation, an incompetent orderly gives him the barium enema intended for Ralph. When Jack awakens, Leslie Abbot informs him that the tumor is malignant, and has scheduled his radiation therapy to begin the next day. While Eli Blumfield offers Jack sympathy, Dr. Murray Kaplan is more concerned with securing his associate’s testimony for a malpractice lawsuit, brought by former patient Mr. Richards. Jack begins his first day of therapy by filling out forms and arguing with bureaucrats, while oncologist Dr. Charles Reed ignores his request to be involved in treatment decisions. Murray Kaplan advises Jack to take a hiatus until his treatment regimen is completed, in order to avoid any further malpractice allegations, but Jack refuses. During a subsequent visit to Dr. Reed’s office, Jack meets June Ellis, a young woman suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. After she recounts her history of misdiagnoses and ineffective treatments, Jack assures her that a cure is still possible. Later that day, Jack learns that his cancer has not spread beyond the larynx, but Anne discourages his plans for a celebration, reminding him of the emotional distance he has placed between himself and his family. During his next encounter with June Ellis, Jack admits that he was lying about her prognosis, and blames her situation on the insurance industry’s tendency to contain costs by denying necessary tests. June laments several things she will never experience, such as seeing a performance of the American Indian Dance Theatre. Despite weeks of radiation therapy, Jack’s tumor continues to grow. He learns of a scheduled performance by the American Indian Dance Theatre in a small town near Reno, Nevada, and invites June. As they drive through the desert, June recalls a dream she had the previous night, in which she flew over Jack’s house. June interrupts their adventure, saying she would rather savor the experience of being in the desert, so she and Jack spend the night dancing on the shore of Pyramid Lake. Jack arrives home as Anne is leaving for work, and during their brief exchange, she tells him how hurtful his behavior has been. At the hospital, Jack has a chance meeting with Mr. Richards, the malpractice complainant, whose speech has been severely impaired following Murray’s treatment. Jack consults with Dr. Abbot, who plans to surgically remove his tumor the following afternoon. Fearing the loss of his vocal chords, Jack asks Dr. Abbot to reschedule for morning, when she is less likely to be fatigued, but she refuses. Jack is distraught and seeks consolation from June, believing he and Anne have grown too far apart. In the morning, Jack criticizes Dr. Abbot for her lack of empathy, and hires Dr. Blumfield to perform his surgery. He then refuses to testify on behalf of Murray Kaplan after discovering his associate’s unethical plan to withhold Mr. Richards’s medical history. Anne meets Jack in his waiting room, upset that he failed to inform her of his impending surgery, and resentful that he seeks consolation from June. As Anne leaves, Jack is summoned to the intensive care unit, where June is near death. Although she is comatose, Jack says goodbye to June, asking her to continue flying over his house. The next day, Dr. Blumfield assures Anne that the surgery was successful, although not all of of Jack’s larynx could be saved. While recovering at home, Jack insists on mending his failing marriage, communicating with a whistle and a note pad. When Anne finally consents to his request, Jack says, “I love you,” and both are overjoyed that his voice has returned. Upon returning to work, Jack performs a heart transplant on Arturo Maris, talking the unconscious patient through the procedure. Afterward, Jack gives a group of medical students a lesson in empathy by assigning each an illness, for which they will be tested during a three-day hospital stay. He receives a letter from June, written the night before her death, in which she tells the story of a farmer who unintentionally frightened away animals with a scarecrow. She advises Jack that letting down his arms will bring people closer to him.