Henry Roth is an obsessive-compulsive and somewhat misanthropic writer of children's books. His illustrator and only friend, Rudy, dies after a successful collaboration on their series of children's books "Marty the Beaver." Henry is under contract to produce another Marty book for Christmas. His publisher, assigns penniless, lovelorn illustrator Lucy Reilly (Mandy Moore) to work with Henry. Ex-boyfriend Jeremy, who dumped her two years ago shows up apologetic, having dedicated his new book to her. She and Henry go to a house on the shore to work. Will love bloom amid the rocks, or is Henry a bump on Lucy's road to Jeremy? Rudy's voice, from the grave, gives Henry counsel.