When Kevin, her conventional, self-centered husband, comes home, she tells him about entering a contest to write a short story following the "Rebecca Ryan" series of novels.

Cathy is notified by mail that she has won the contest, the prize is an all-expense-paid trip to Paris for two, an award ceremony and a meeting with the author of the "Rebecca Ryan" novels.

Escaping from the hospital she assumes Rebecca's dashing persona, lavish wardrobe, and residence at the Hôtel de Crillon.

When she enters "Rebecca's" apartment, she is greeted by Alan McMann, who thinks she is the clerical assistant he has requested from an agency.

Cathy as Rebecca is convinced that she must save Victor Marchand (Giancarlo Giannini), the leader of the opposition party, from an assassination plot.

He has been seriously injured from Rebecca's repeated rescue attempts, and is clad in neck brace and arm sling, and walks with a cane.

Cathy and Alan manage to escape from their bonds and, in a leap of faith, jump into the moat surrounding Victor's chateau, eluding him and his henchmen.

It was mentioned in 1980 as being based on an idea by Roger Vadim (then Biderman's partner) and would be made by Melvin Simon Productions.

It was envisioned as a vehicle for Goldie Hawn; when that did not come to fruition, the producers considered Dolly Parton, Jill Clayburgh and Mary Steenburgen, before director Rick Rosenthal suggested JoBeth Williams.

[4] Williams was coming off a string of successful films at the time, including Stir Crazy and Poltergeist.

CBS' first three films—Backroads, Table for Five and The Challenge—had been flops, with All the Sad Young Men awaiting release and Grandview USA being shot at the same time as American Dreamer.

[4] "I loved the Katharine Hepburn comedies, the Ernst Lubitsch and Frank Capra films," said Williams.