The Wheels is a portrait of the relationship between an alcoholic father, John, and his seventeen year-old son, Harry. After picking up Harry an hour late and thereby throwing off their father-son plans for the day, John takes Harry to a Coney Island amusement park as a last-minute alternative. When he sees John sneaking a drink in the restroom, Harry decides that he must confront his father about his alcoholism. Harry waits until he and his father are both locked inside a Ferris Wheel cage to ask John to quit drinking. John, backed into a corner, emptily promises to stop drinking, but as the day progresses, it becomes clear that John cannot escape his demons, his drunken demeanor embarrassing Harry at every moment.