Plagued by chest pains, a stiff neck, and a ringing in his ears, average guy Joe McDoakes sees a doctor who tells him he only has a month to live. McDoakes decides to live those thirty days to the fullest. He burns his bridges by physically attacking both his boss and IRS agent and proceeds to go on a spending binge that has him buying a new car and boat, hiring a butler and gypsy violinist, being showered with the attentions of beautiful women, and scheduling a trans-Atlantic cruise only to find that his symptoms are attributable to a tight shirt collar.