For years, high tension line technician Felix Grünler dreams of convincing the mayor to realize his ever more elaborate blueprints for unique public Christmas lights. Turned down again and dumped as hopelessly naive loser by his girl friend and finding his mother dead on her birthday, he lashes out violently at two obnoxious debt collectors having refused to pay for an arguably absurd model of toaster he keeps ordering, which brings him in court. As he refuses to sell the non-lucrative old-fashioned parental appliances shop, his softy brother Ingo lets his greedy wife convince him to play along with an intrigue to bribe a golf partner judge to commit Felix to a mental institution and the leading psychiatrist there to declare him incompetent. *Instead of submitting to therapy, Felix bonds with .patients and finally makes a stand for himself and his dream.