Streetwise George and his big, childlike friend Lennie are drifters looking for work in the fields and valleys of California. They own nothing but the clothes they wear, and the hope that one day they'll find a place of their own and live the American dream. But dreams have a price. The gentle giant Lennie is unaware of his own strength, and when they find work on a ranch, he lands in trouble with the boss's daughter-in-law. Troubles so serious that even his protector, George, might not be able to save him...