The film tells the story of Vinnie Jones (John Cusack), a convict who escapes from prison and kidnaps Peter Harken (Timothy O'Donnell), the son of a prominent Republican politician, William Harken (James G. Nizzi). Vinnie's plan is to demand a ransom from Peter's father in exchange for his safe return. However, things don't go as planned, and Vinnie and Peter find themselves on a journey to Vinnie's hometown of Buffalo, New York.