As the guests become more and more intoxicated, hidden resentments begin to surface. In the middle of the scuffle, Michael impulsively begins drinking again. During the ensuing chaos, Harold finally makes his grand appearance. 'Cowboy,' a hustler and Emory's 'gift' to Harold, arrives. However, Alan arrives unexpectedly, throwing the gathering into turmoil. Alan calls again to inform Michael that he will not be coming after all, and the party continues in a festive manner. Bernard is an amiable black bookstore clerk. Hank, a soon-to-be-divorced schoolteacher, and Larry, a fashion photographer, are a couple but struggling with monogamy. Emory is a stereotypical flamboyant interior designer. Michael reluctantly agrees and invites him to come over. Alan, Michael's (presumably straight) former college roommate, calls with an urgent need to see Michael. Another friend, Donald, a self-described underachiever who has moved from the city, arrives and helps Michael prepare. Michael, a Roman Catholic, recovering alcoholic and sporadically-employed writer, is preparing to host a birthday party for one of his friends, Harold. The film is set in an Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan in 1968.
