Jessie's self-indulgent lifestyle (along with a lack of respect for anything or anybody, even herself) has been wearing thin on her father Charles (Tom Skerritt), a widowed philanthropist.

When Jessie's boyfriend Brent (Jason Beghe) breaks up with her, out of frustration with her immaturity and utter lack of values, she could not care less.

Having never worked a day in her life (she dropped out of junior college after "six years"), Jessie nonetheless succeeds in finding employment as a live-in maid for an eccentric Malibu family: Stan Starkey (Dick Shawn), his wife Georgette (Valerie Perrine), and their daughter Brie (Rain Phoenix).

A few years ago, the Starkeys won several million dollars in the lottery; they now aspire to break into the music industry as talent agents.

Gradually, Jessie bonds with the Starkeys' other retainers: cook Audrey (Merry Clayton), a failed singer; fellow maid Maria (Begoña Plaza); and chauffeur Nick (Michael Ontkean), an aspiring songwriter.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times "found it too easy to anticipate most of the big moments and too hard to believe that Sheedy was really a spoiled, mean-spirited rich bitch.

"[1] Janet Maslin in The New York Times praised Sheedy, saying her "petulant manner and her air of faint distaste for her surroundings are just right for this role.