Mr. Hoppy is a shy old man who lives alone in an apartment building. For many years, he has been secretly in love with Mrs. Silver, a woman who lives below him. Mr. Hoppy frequently leans over his balcony and exchanges polite conversation with Mrs. Silver, but he is too shy to disclose how he feels. Mr. Hoppy longs to express his feelings to Mrs. Silver, but he can never bring his lips to form the words. Mrs. Silver has a small pet tortoise, Alfie, whom she loves very much. One morning, Mrs. Silver mentions to Mr. Hoppy that even though she has had Alfie for many years, her pet has only grown a tiny bit and has gained only 3 ounces in weight. She confesses that she wishes she knew of some way to make her little Alfie grown into a larger, more dignified tortoise. Mr. Hoppy suddenly thinks of a way to give Mrs. Silver her wish and win her affection.
Vivendo em um asilo ao término de sua vida, o Marquês de Sade (Geoffrey Rush) torna-se amigo do diretor do asilo em que reside, Abbe Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix). Com ele o Marquês troca confidências a respeito da afeição de ambos para com a lavadeira do asilo, Madeleine (Kate Winslet). A amizade de ambos cresce cada vez mais, até que Napoleão Bonaparte envia ao asilo um conceituado médico (Michael Caine), no intuito de curar o Marquês de sua suposta loucura. Entretanto, a vinda do médico apenas faz com que o caráter rebelde do Marquês fique cada vez mais forte.
