教授格雷迪（迈克尔·道格拉斯 Michael Douglas 饰）曾经被尊称为“奇迹小子”，因为他7年前出版的小说如此优秀，在文坛上轰动一时。这表面看来是一件好事，却让格雷迪背上了沉重的思想包袱，他害怕自己的新作品落差太大，于是一直把它压在箱底，不敢发表。如今，妻子已经离他而去，他有一个情人萨拉（弗兰西斯·麦克多蒙德 Frances McDormand 饰）。这个情人，是他的校长，同时也是上司的妻子。
格雷迪怎么也没想到，一把年纪了，倒霉事才陆续朝他招手。萨拉告诉他肚里怀上了他的骨肉。更糟糕的是他被恶狗所咬，不过也因此和学生詹姆斯（托比·马奎尔 Tobey Maguire 饰）开始一段感情真挚的忘年交。在詹姆斯身上，格雷迪发现了可贵的文学潜质。另一方面，编辑克莱特里（小罗伯特·唐尼 Robert Downey Jr. 饰）催命鬼似的向格雷迪催稿。众多事情使格雷迪的生活就像六国大封相。他该如何厘清头绪，从乱麻中重新整理下人生呢？

Filmmaker David Lean is scouting locations in Tahiti for a feature film about the famous mutiny on the HMS Bounty. His property master, Eddie Fowlie, discovers the whereabouts of an anchor which had belonged to Captain Cook, and historians and experts arrive to examine it before an attempt is made to raise it and bring it to land.

After a short biography of author Boris Pasternak, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Doctor Zhivago (1965).

In this promotional short for the feature film Doctor Zhivago (1965), director David Lean explains why he chose the performers for the leading roles in the movie.

Omar Sharif narrates and others discuss the making of Doctor Zhivago.

An intimate look at the career of David Lean, this 1971 documentary by Thomas Craven features an extensive interview with the director, who discusses his work and his approach to filmmaking.