Everest Clutterbuck, a freelance appliance manual writer, attempts to balance his need for anonymity and solitude with his need for human interaction by attending the funerals of strangers in his spare time. Posing as a friend of the family, he has become a connoisseur of the funeral service–the ushers, the music, the ministers, and especially the eulogies. But his fears of being known are realized when he discovers that he is not the only funeral crasher in the sprawling Oklahoma City Metropolitan area.