In Wildwood, New Jersey, Ernie, a mental hospital technician, chaperones a group of patients on a visit to the boardwalk. Daniel, one of the patients, separates from the group and is found among a crowd gathered around “Herbie’s Big Splash.” The attraction is manned by a clown named Timothy, who insults onlookers, provoking them to pitch baseballs at a target that will immerse him in pool of water. Daniel rejoins his group, and as they file toward the bus, he gets into an altercation with Dave, an irate driver. Ernie intervenes, but blames Daniel for provoking the fight. The next morning, Daniel complains to Dr. Willoughby that he is being overmedicated, but the doctor insists the dosage is necessary, evidenced by the previous day’s incident. Based on mental health records, Dr. Willoughby assigns Daniel to train as a messenger, with no regard for his keen intellect. Daniel acts out his frustration in the recreation room, eliciting threats from one of the orderlies. Jennifer, a newly arrived patient, calms Daniel without speaking. The next day, Daniel burns his mental health records, and as orderlies restrain him, he swears to never become a messenger. At Daniel’s second encounter with Jennifer, she speaks her first words since entering the hospital, explaining that sometimes she is unable to find her voice. Daniel reveals that he stopped taking his medication six months earlier and encourages Jennifer to do the same, despite her diagnosis of paranoid-schizophrenia. When her self-centered mother cancels a visit to the hospital in order to spend time with a male companion, Daniel offers Jennifer comfort. One afternoon, when Ernie taunts him by calling him “messenger boy,” Daniel reacts with a malicious prank, resulting in the removal of his privileges. Daniel escapes the hospital that night, promising to return for Jennifer, and hitchhikes to Wildwood. After a day of wandering the boardwalk, Daniel meets Timothy and expresses his need for a job. Timothy’s boss, Herbie, hires Daniel as a substitute clown, and offers him free lodging. In addition to providing Daniel with a living, the job also gives him an outlet for his aggression. He develops a close friendship with Timothy, and they make plans to go into business together in Arizona at the end of the season. However, Timothy disappears one night without explanation, leaving his car behind. Daniel is concerned, but Herbie is unfazed, explaining that such behavior is common among carnival workers. Following a futile search for Timothy, Daniel rents an apartment near the beach. Late that night, he breaks into the hospital and helps Jennifer escape, with the assurance her that she has no obligation to him. Later, Jennifer observes Daniel at his job, and becomes hysterical with the idea that he is in danger. The following night, Jennifer prepares a romantic candlelight dinner, but Daniel panics and runs out the door. When he returns the next morning, Jennifer threatens to leave him, but he begs her to stay, attributing his behavior to a fear of commitment. They spend a pleasant day together, but that night, Jennifer is suddenly unable to recognize Daniel and accuses him of being an intruder. She apologizes in the morning, explaining that she is still prone to such episodes, even though her mental health is improving. One night, Daniel is severely beaten by three members of the crowd he angered with his insults. Frustrated by his inability to work on the final day of the season, Daniel strikes himself repeatedly, but Jennifer begs him to stop and he is moved by her compassion. As Herbie leaves Wildwood to join a traveling show in the South, he invites Daniel to join him. Daniel declines, saying he is no longer willing to “take pratfalls” for money. Jennifer works as a waitress to support them while Daniel searches for a job. She secretly notifies her mother of their location, but when Daniel learns of the betrayal, she becomes angry and storms out of the apartment. Jennifer finds Ernie, the hospital attendant, waiting on the boardwalk, and he returns her to the hospital. Following a search of Wildwood, Daniel drives to the hospital and discovers that Jennifer’s mother has ordered her release. He ignores Ernie’s warning that neither of them can survive in the world, and rushes to the boardwalk to find Jennifer back at her job.