The powerful alcoholic and clumsy John Hancock is the most hated person in Los Angeles, as in spite of saving lives, he also destroys properties causing high cost to the city to fix his damages. When he saves the life of the PR Ray Embrey from a train, the executive feels in debt with Hancock and decides to change his image. He brings the anti-hero to have dinner at his home, and introduces him to his son and fan Aaron and to his wife, Mary. But Mary does not want Hancock in her life.

The script, originally titled 'Tonight, He Comes', floated around in Hollywood for over a decade.

Hancock:
[comes flying in a leather suit and the police men are looking at him] What? It's a little tight.

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In one scene, the TV news announcer states that Hancock has been taken to "Los Angeles General Hospital." In the following scene, an exterior shot of the hospital reveals the name "Mercy General Hospital".