College history professor Michael Burgess (Alan Alda) is about to have his fact-based historical novel about the American Revolution turned into a Hollywood motion picture.

Michael's excitement is squelched by his increasing exasperation as the novel is changed by a low-brow scriptwriter (Bob Hoskins) and a condescending director (Saul Rubinek) into a steamy tale of lust and betrayal, complete with nudity and distortions of historical fact.

While Michael navigates on-set politics, he is distracted by his mother Cecilia (Lillian Gish) and her delusions, including the belief that she is being poisoned and that the Devil lives in her kitchen.

When extras from a local Revolutionary War reenactor company are bullied and mocked by the film crew, Michael persuades them to turn the tables on their tormentors.

Michael, who had previously been lectured by the arrogant director that audiences want defiance of authority, destruction of property and nudity, reveals how he has undermined the production.

It stayed in the box office Top 10 for five weeks, steadily moved down by new entrants such as Cobra, Back to School, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

[4] Pfeiffer was acclaimed for "wonderfully subtle touches",[7] and was described as getting "a chance to show that she has the potential to be a first-rate comedienne",[4] and as the actress who "neatly tucks the movie into her bodice and saunters off with it".