It's a hot summer day in 1933 in South Philly, where 12-year old Gennaro lives with his widowed mom and his ailing grandpa, who sits outside holding tight to his last quarter, which he's promised to Gennaro and which Gennaro would like to have to buy a ticket to the plush new movie theater. But grandpa's not ready to pass on the quarter or pass on to his final reward: he has some unfinished business with a woman from his past, and he enlists Gennaro to act as his emissary.

When Charlie meets Daphne - the girl of his dreams - he never expects he'll have to battle past her pet dog "Babydoll" to woo her. And just when it seems he can't beat the beast and all is lost, something unexpected happens: Charlie begins to fall in love with the dog himself, realizing he never really needed a girlfriend in the first place. Now, in order to keep hanging out with "man's best friend", Charlie must scramble to keep the relationship with Daphne going at all costs - or risk losing them both.