1995年春节临近时,在北京某餐馆打工的河南民工王小山(王宏伟)因一心回家无心工作被老板开除。在回家前,他想找个老乡作伴。 为此,他一一走访了他的建筑工人、票贩子、大学生、服务员、妓女等老乡,然而他们各自有留在北京不回家过年的理由(有想趁年关卖多些黄牛票多挣些钞票的,有很想回家但因为现在的工作觉得无脸见家人只让王小山把钱捎回去的,有觉得回家过年很没有意思的,不一而足),王小山费劲口舌也没能将他们说服,只落得无可奈何的失望。A cook living in Beijing, whose employment is coming to an end, plans to return home to his rural village for the New Year. He approaches several of his old friends, also working in the city in a variety of jobs, but none of them want to return with him.