In the early 1960s, a high school student named Bobby Fontana challenges Joe Barnes to a “chicken” race after Joe attempts to seduce Bobby’s girl friend, Emily. As they race towards the edge of a quarry, Joe jumps out of his automobile before it careens over a cliff, but Bobby’s bracelet gets caught on the gear shift knob, and he plummets to his death. Sometime later, Bobby awakens on a subway train, and is greeted at a station by a motorcycle-riding spirit named Rafferty, who informs him that he is dead. Bobby is in limbo between heaven and hell, and must perform an assignment to be deemed worthy of heaven. In the meantime, he must ride on the subway until further notice. Twenty years later, a high school student named Lenny works at a diner in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with his friend, Melissa. Outside the diner, Rafferty arrives with Bobby on his motorcycle. Rafferty escorts him into this new era, and instructs Bobby to only reveal himself to his assignment, and remain invisible to everyone else. They watch as Lenny is picked on and tripped by a bully named McIntyre, which causes him to spill a tray of food on Sharon, the girl of his dreams, and then get terminated from his job. Bobby learns that the awkward Lenny is his assignment. Later, while reading on a cliff side, Lenny stumbles and falls over the edge, and Bobby catches him, saving his life. Believing he has completed his mission, Bobby prepares to leave, but Rafferty instructs him to befriend Lenny, and help the young man believe in himself. Bobby reluctantly accepts the assignment, feeling no connection to Lenny. Later, Bobby observes Lenny in his classroom, and sees that he is an excellent student, but socially awkward. Melissa praises Lenny on his writing abilities, but he dismisses her. When Lenny approaches Sharon in the lunchroom to apologize, McIntyre targets him, but Bobby steps in, knocking McIntyre into a food cart, and embarrassing him in front of his classmates. At the cliff side, Bobby reappears and introduces himself, telling Lenny he has returned from the dead to help him. To prove himself, Bobby attempts to use the powers Rafferty told him he possesses. After several failed attempts, Bobby pushes Lenny backwards while arguing his case, and before they realize it, they have walked off the edge of a cliff and are hovering mid-air. When Lenny questions why he was chosen, Bobby begins to boost his confidence by giving him a makeover, and replacing Lenny’s bicycle with a classic automobile he rebuilds with his powers. Lenny’s efforts to seduce women fail. However, when three girls ask him for a ride, Lenny is thrilled, and afterwards he returns to his home with Bobby. Bobby is stunned to discover that Lenny’s mother is his former girl friend, Emily, and his father is Bobby’s rival, Joe. Unsettled, Bobby contacts Rafferty and demands to be given a new assignment, revealing that he still has feelings for Emily. Lenny tells his parents about his mysterious, new friend who bought him his clothes and automobile. When Lenny uses a phrase that Bobby used to say, Emily is alarmed, but hides her reaction. That night, Bobby returns and watches Emily sleep. The next day, Lenny drives his automobile to school and impresses Sharon and his other classmates with his newfound style. Sharon’s boyfriend, Fred Gallo, is jealous, and challenges Lenny to a fight. Elsewhere, Bobby visits the crash site where he was killed. Rafferty arrives to reassign him, but Bobby changes his mind, and wants to continue working with Lenny. Back at school, Lenny successfully beats Gallo, and as McIntyre prepares to punch Lenny, Bobby steps in to help. After winning the fight, Sharon asks Lenny for a ride home, and he takes her for a date that evening. She suggests they skip dinner and have sex in his car instead. Bobby warns that Sharon may not be the best choice for a girl friend, but takes Lenny out to celebrate losing his virginity. When Lenny returns home intoxicated, his father punishes him. At school, Lenny enjoys his popularity and ignores his old friend, Melissa. Bobby overhears Gallo and McIntyre plotting their revenge, and alerts Lenny, but he dismisses the warning. Meanwhile, Emily looks at pictures of Bobby in her yearbook. Sometime later, Bobby worries about Lenny’s attitude when he ignores his father’s punishment and takes Sharon to the diner where Melissa works. Seeing Lenny, Melissa is distraught and runs away. Lenny follows her into the backroom and sees her crying, but says nothing, and leaves with Sharon to attend a party. While there, he watches as she dances with several other young men. That night, Bobby makes himself visible to Emily, who passes out in shock after seeing him. When she awakens, she and Bobby embrace, and spend the evening together, visiting places from their past. Emily tells Bobby that Joe has been a good husband to her, and reveals that Bobby is Lenny’s father. Bobby is grateful to Joe who agreed to marry her and raise Lenny as his own son. He tells Emily for the first time that he loves her, and then kisses her. After taking Emily home, he promises to look after Lenny. Rafferty appears and admonishes Bobby for breaking the rules by appearing to Emily, but Bobby believes it was worth the consequences to speak to her and learn that he has a son. Elsewhere, Lenny sees Melissa walking down the street, and asks for her forgiveness. Gallo drives up and challenges him to a “chicken” race. Meanwhile, Bobby looks through Rafferty’s book of “arriving passengers” and sees Lenny’s name. Rafferty informs Bobby about the automobile race, but warns that nothing can be done to save Lenny’s life. Bobby pleads to save him, realizing that he missed out on having a family after dying young, and he does not want Lenny to miss his chance. Bobby sacrifices his soul for Lenny’s life. At the race, Melissa begs Lenny not to race, but he cannot be persuaded. Emily arrives and also tries to stop her son, but she is too late. As the young men race, Gallo jumps to safety, but Lenny is trapped when his door will not open. Bobby appears beside him as the vehicle goes over the quarry and crashes in a fiery explosion. Lenny climbs over the cliff, to the relief of his friends, and kisses Melissa. He thanks Bobby for saving him, and is sad to hear that Bobby is leaving. Although he does not reveal himself as his father, Bobby promises to remain the best of friends with Lenny. Bobby departs with Rafferty, and prepares to go to hell for breaking the rules, but after sacrificing his soul for Lenny, Rafferty takes him to heaven.