Discription
Matt Franklin is a recent MIT graduate, working at a Los Angeles Suncoast Video store in 1988 while trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, something that his police officer father has grown impatient with. When Matt's high school crush, Tori Frederking, walks into the store, he lies that he works at Goldman Sachs. Tori invites Matt to a Labor Day party, hosted by his twin sister Wendy's boyfriend, Kyle.
When Matt, Wendy, and Matt's best friend, Barry Nathan, head to the party, Barry steals a Mercedes-Benz from the car dealership he got fired from earlier that day, saying Matt needs it to impress Tori. At the party, Matt awkwardly tries to woo her. Barry snorts some cocaine he found in the glove box of the stolen car and gets involved in a dance-off, and Kyle proposes to Wendy in front of everyone. Matt is disappointed she accepted, as he doesn't think Kyle will support her attending graduate school.
Tori takes Matt and Barry to her boss's party in Beverly Hills. Barry has a wild sexual encounter with an older woman while Matt and Tori grow closer, after Matt's successful "put down" of Tori's boss, a habitual sexual harasser. They go into a neighbor's backyard where they jump on a trampoline, play truth or dare, and end up having sex.
Wendy shares her unopened admissions letter from Cambridge with Kyle, and discovers she was not accepted. Kyle is visibly relieved, while Wendy is upset.
Matt confesses that he doesn't work at Goldman Sachs. Tori storms off, leaving him guilt-ridden. He finds Barry and they leave the party. Barry chastises Matt for not trying to have just one night of enjoyment and offers him a line of cocaine while driving. He tries to snort the cocaine, but ends up driving the convertible into a ditch. A police cruiser arrives, and it turns out to be Matt's dad. Already disappointed with his unwillingness to choose a career path, he further damages the convertible, coercing Matt to get a better job to pay off the damages. He apologizes for being such a failure, to which his dad replies that, as he's never tried, he has never reached failure. He wants Matt to take a shot at anything in life.
Knowing Tori has left her car at the party, Matt and Barry go back, where bets are being placed on who will "ride the ball", a giant, steel sphere that someone rides inside as it's rolled down a hill. Matt finds Tori and tries to apologize, but she is unwilling to forgive him. Feeling he has nothing to lose, Matt volunteers to "ride the ball", hitting several parked cars then flying off an embankment, landing in a backyard swimming pool. He almost drowns before escaping the sinking ball.
Barry rushes to the scene and walks with Matt back to the party, meeting up with Wendy and Tori, who are elated to find him alive. Matt apologizes to Tori, and she forgives him, then gives him her phone number. They return to the party as dawn approaches. All who are still there 'whoop' it up at Matt's successful return.
Wendy, realizing Matt was right, breaks up with Kyle, who experiences a crying breakdown. Pondering his future while talking to Ashley, a Goth girl he met at the party, who tells Barry that maybe he should go to college. Outside, Matt boldly kisses Tori goodbye for the night cause he still has her phone number to call. Matt's dad, investigating the giant ball in the pool, smirks proudly when he finds his son's name tag. Matt, Barry and Wendy stagger out of the party house, leaving together as the sun is rising.
