Blue, a yet-to-be discovered painter, is left by his longtime girlfriend because she considers him too immature for a lasting relationship. Eli, Blue's best friend, works for his father's garment business and is still searching for a woman who's interesting enough to spend more than one night with. Blue and Eli's friendship is put to the test when they both fall for Liliane, Blue's exotic gallerist.

Berkeley is the story of Ben Sweet, an eighteen year old boy who comes to UC Berkeley in 1968 to study accounting and avoid the draft. There begins an odyssey through sex, drugs, rock and roll, and political activism which turns his world upside down and leaves him on a path of exploration and self-discovery, far from the life of his father, Sy Sweet. The film depicts a group of young people protesting the Vietnam War.