Every town has a bad boy -- even one as bucolic as Bluebell, Alabama. Wade Kinsella is that bad boy, a bartender, manual laborer and enthusiastic purveyor of liquor, the opposite sex and music based video games.Wade lives in the gatehouse on the property of his friend and town mayor Lavon Hayes. That makes him the neighbor of Zoe Hart, a New York surgeon who lives in the carriage house after she reluctantly agrees to serve as a general practitioner in Bluebell. Wade and Zoe immediately clash when one of his late-night parties (involving booze, women and video games) causes a black out at Zoe's place. Naturally, the tension is somewhat sexual in nature, leading to future awkward encounters between the pair.But Wade's blustery exterior belies a smart, sophisticated and even sensitive soul. The womanizing, drinking and obsessive dedication to living a carefree lifestyle is largely a defense mechanism. He is friends with Lavon as well as George Tucker, a young attorney in town who also takes notice of Zoe.