Unsurprisingly, grumpy Southern chemical baron Jason Crockett (Ray Milland) is not terribly concerned with the environment. When Pickett Smith (Sam Elliott), a wildlife photographer in the area, stumbles upon the snakebitten corpse of Crockett's gardener, who was sent out to spray pesticide, he knows something is amiss. Smith attempts to warn Crockett and his family to postpone their Fourth of July celebrations as local animals begin behaving strangely, but Crockett stubbornly refuses.