Nicolas Cage's directorial debut stars James Franco as Sonny who, following his discharge from the army, returns to New Orleans to resume his desultory life as a gigolo at the bordello run by his mother Jewel. Although reluctant to resume his old trade and struggling to go straight, he becomes professionally involved with Jewel's new whore Carol at first professionally but slowly an emotional bond forms between them as they try to escape their destinies. Cage has an outrageous cameo as a lemon-suited gay pimp and there's an appearance by Brenda Vacarro as one of Sonny's clients - she was also serviced by Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy.