The film Orphan Brooklyn, set in the 1950s in New York, tells the story of Lionel Essrog (Norton) - a lonely private detective suffering from Tourette syndrome. He decides to solve the mystery of the murder of his mentor and the only friend Frank Minna (Willis). With only a few clues and his own obsessive mind, Lionel discovers closely guarded secrets. It hits the gin-soaked jazz clubs in Harlem, the harsh slums of Brooklyn, and finally the glamorous salons of the most influential players in New York. He faces thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city (Baldwin). All to honor the memory of a friend and save a woman who can be his only salvation.

Norton's script was based on the motifs of the novel "Orphan Brooklyn" by Jonathan Lethem, which was awarded the National Book Critics Circle award in the category of literary fiction in 1999.