After lawyer Steve Myers (Billy Connolly) abandons his career, he buys a boat and pursues a quiet life as a fisherman. His plans are obstructed when a bolt of lightning destroys his vessel, and his insurance company tells him he isn't covered because the incident was an "act of God." Teaming up with Anne (Judy Davis), a journalist who's sympathetic to his plight, Steve sues God, who is represented in court by religious leaders. The defendants must give evidence of God's existence or pay.