斯坦利.莫恩是一家酒吧的厨师,爱上了女招待玛加丽特。但是,他生性腼腆,怯于和她交谈,斯坦利感到非常苦恼,甚至想自杀,又不知从何下手,完全没有头绪。斯坦利真是一筹莫展时,斯皮高特先生来拜访他。这个神秘客提出借用他的灵魂,作为回报,给他七个愿望做为交换。斯坦利欣然同意。他连续说出六个愿望,变化成各种类型的人,来接近玛加丽特,以便得到她的芳心。可是遗憾的的是,六个愿望全部没有效果。斯坦利的最后一个愿望,是把自己变成一块冰糖。神秘客又出现了,收回了最后一个愿望,把灵魂还给了斯坦利。Stanley is a short order cook, infatuated with Margaret, the statuesque waitress who works at Wimpy Bar with him. Despondent, he prepares to end it all when he meets George Spiggott AKA the Devil. Selling his soul for 7 wishes, Stanley tries to make Margaret his own first as an intellectual, then as a rock star, then as a wealthy industrialist. As each fails, he becomes more aware of how empty his life had been and how much more he has to live for. He also meets the seven deadly sins who try and advise him.