Plot: The Maneros are typical of many of the working class Italian-American families of their Bay Ridge, Brooklyn neighborhood. Three generations of their family currently live under the same roof. They outwardly abide by their Catholic roots, and as such see oldest son Frank Jr. being a priest as salvation for the family. Everything that housewife Flo does is in the name of God, while Frank Sr. happily collects unemployment and rules what happens in the house when he is not working in construction. Nineteen year old middle offspring Tony seems destined to be stuck in this dead end life, he recently having started working at a paint store in the neighborhood. He hangs out with his Italian childhood friends where acts of machismo dominate. Within this setting, Tony lives solely for today, not having any idea of life outside of Bay Ridge, with the bridges - the Brooklyn Bridge and especially the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge - acting as barriers and symbols to unknown worlds across the water. Part of that living for today is spending all his money on Saturday nights out at the local disco, the 2001 Odyssey, he needing to look and act the part of the king of the dance floor in every aspect. This is the one place where he feels he is in control and where he has respect. Although he is up front with her about not being attracted to her, he strings along insecure Annette who does whatever she needs to be with Tony and his friends. Part of the stringing along is agreeing to be Annette's dance partner at 2001's upcoming dance contest, where they would have a good chance of winning. That changes when he spots a new girl at 2001, twenty year old Stephanie Mangano, who he sees not only as being the best dancer he's seen at the club in a long time, but also someone exotic as she has aspirations of life away from the neighborhood despite being in many ways typical of a Bay Ridge girl. Although she has no interest in him romantically, she does agree to be his dance partner at the contest. Issues with his family, with his friends and with Stephanie up to and including at the dance contest show Tony what his life is all about, something that he had never really thought about before.
Alternative Plot: Tony Manero (John Travolta) doesn't have much going for him during the weekdays. He still lives at home and works as a paint store clerk in his Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood. But he lives for the weekends, when he and his friends go to the local disco and dance the night away. When a big dance competition is announced, he wrangles the beautiful and talented Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney) to be his partner. As the two train for the big night, they start to fall for each other as well.
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