Philadelphia teenager Edna Buxton (Illeana Douglas) wins a talent contest during the early rock 'n' roll era, changes her name to Denise Waverly and moves to New York City to make it big. Though she flops as a recording artist, fast-talking record producer Joel Millner (John Turturro) recognizes her songwriting talent and teams her with struggling songsmith Howard Caszatt (Eric Stoltz). The ups and downs of Denise's career parallel the tumult of the 1960s pop scene.