When his brother goes missing, mentally challenged Langston Bellows (Gbenga Akinnagbe) is alone in the Brooklyn housing projects without a protector. Now that he is under the thumb of his overbearing mother (Alfre Woodard), Langston must seize control of his own destiny. He sets off in search of the one doctor he believes can treat him, a celebrity magazine columnist who promotes dubious prescription medicine cocktail combinations. If Langston succeeds in becoming "mentally excellent," he will be able to live independently with his lover, who may be a product of his wishful thinking. Finding himself in the unethical world of pharmaceutical marketing, his search for his enigmatic doctor and hero leads to some unexpected revelations. Langston struggles for freedom from his previous existence; from his mother, his neighborhood, and his shattered mind-all the while, those around him are not who they appear to be.