A down-on-his-luck actor, Matt Hobbs (Nick Nolte) is estranged from his trouble-prone wife (Tracey Ullman) and winds up raising their young daughter, Jeannie (Whittni Wright), on his own. Given his dearth of acting work, Matt finds employment as a chauffeur for eccentric movie producer Burke Adler (Albert Brooks). While Burke begins dating divorcée Nan Mulhanney (Julie Kavner), Matt becomes involved with the beautiful Cathy Breslow (Joely Richardson), signaling positive changes for both men.