A co-production between France and the United States, it is an English-language remake of the 1994 French film Un indien dans la ville (also known as Little Indian, Big City).

Its plot follows that of the original film fairly closely, with the biggest difference being the change in location from Paris to New York City.

Wanting to marry his new fiancée, Charlotte, he needs to obtain a divorce from his first wife, Patricia, who left him some years earlier.

The tribal elder gives him a special task to bring fire from the Statue of Liberty in order to become the next chief.

As Michael attempts to adapt him to city life, cross-cultural misunderstandings occur when he reverts to customs considered acceptable by his tribe.

While staying at the home of Michael's business partner Richard Kempster, Mimi falls in love with his daughter, Karen.

Richard resents Mimi's presence in his home due to his influence over Karen and because he cooked and ate his valuable prize-winning Poecilia latipinna fish.

The Kempsters and Michael are targeted by Alexei Jovanovic, a Russian mobster and caviar dealer who believes that they have cheated him in a business deal.

In return, he gives Michael a blowpipe and poisoned darts, telling him to practice and come to see him when he can hit flies.