Byeong-tae (Yoon Mun-seob), a philosophy major at Y University, goes to a group blind date and meets Young-ja (Lee Young-ok), who studies French literature at H University. The young men and women of the 1970s, who have grown up under the influence of a rapid influx of Western culture, agonize over college issues, family conflicts, and their future paths in life. But such struggles are self-derisive, and they can see no tomorrow waiting for them. Between Byeong-tae and Young-ja, there is no promise of love, of any kind. They simply meet, and exchange meaningless conversation. Meanwhile, Yeong-cheol (Ha Jae-young), who always rides a bike and declares every time he drinks that he will set off in search of a whale, has feelings for another girl he met on the blind date, named Sun-ja (Kim Young-suk). But Sun-ja rejects Yeong-cheol, who stammers, has no prospects, and was even turned down for military duty due to health reasons, and he falls into despair. With nothing to look forward to, Byeong-tae and Yeong-cheol head to the sea. Yeong-cheol, who boasted that he would catch a beautiful whale in the East Sea, commits suicide, and Byeong-tae enlists with the military. Young-ja comes to see him off, even though she said she wouldn't see him any more, and the two of them kiss through the open window of the train that will carry Byeong-tae away.

风流大侠遑仁（刘德华 饰）与师父（元奎 饰）、小师弟生活在一起，他常在梦中与一位女子（关之琳 饰）相见，他一心想找到这位令他神魂颠倒的美女。这时候魔王（吴耀汉 饰）邀请江湖中人前往雪山帮忙去玉女寒冰。遑仁发现被藏在冰中的女子正是自己的梦中情人，他一心想保护自己的爱人——姑姑不让魔王抓走，可是旅馆馆主路比（关淑怡 饰）不甘自己喜欢的逞仁喜欢上了他人，便通知了魔王逞仁的行踪。逞仁在与魔王决斗的时候被魔王打伤后重伤死亡，姑姑便吧自己的真气传给了逞仁，逞仁虽然复生了，魔王却抓走了姑姑……

敬大爷（靖奎 饰）是一位87岁高龄的耄耋老人，他是一位从旧社会走来的老剃头匠。这位家住北京什刹海景山西街附近的老人耳不聋，眼不花，解放前在地安门开理发馆，接待过不计其数的主顾。解放后随着时代的发展，花样繁多的发廊相继兴起，而像敬大爷这样凭着传统手艺吃饭的却越来越少，古老的剃头匠们已被时尚人类抛弃在穷街陋巷之中。敬大爷每天穿梭各个胡同之间，登门为那些相识几十年的老主顾理发刮脸。这群老人中有的健谈、有的沉默、有的达观、有的已是弥留……20多年时间里，400多位孤独、无名的老人离开。而敬大爷则怀着一颗平实达观的心，以仪式般的郑重送走每一个相伴多年的老主顾……本片荣获2002年中国电视纪录片学术奖、长片类大奖、长片类编导奖和录音奖。

清朝末年，才二十出头的“我”（石挥 饰）就失业了，多亏邻居巡警赵大爷的帮助，我也当上了一名巡警，也就是人们常说的“臭脚巡”。从这绰号您就知道，这个差事不好干。况且那些年兵荒马乱，民不聊生，清政府、军阀、洋人、爱国青年、国民党……你方唱罢我登场，把个老北京城搅得沸沸扬扬。我曾在秦大人府上当差，官老爷的奢侈腐败算是看了个尽。五四运动时还结识了学生领袖申远，他们为了新中国的崛起而不懈努力。我呢，一个社会底层的小老百姓，只求守着老婆孩子过上几天安稳日子。但处在这个倒霉时代下，老百姓哪有什么安生日子可言啊？本片根据老舍同名原著改编。