One Sunday afternoon, Jack Mitchell (Peter Boyle), a married middle-aged salesman from Utica, New York, meets his old friend, children's book author Larry Moore (James Caan), while on business in Chicago.

Baskin (Candice Bergen), a socially isolated and sarcastic young woman who has moved to Chicago "to seek fame and fortune," in her own words.

arrives at the hotel, and after some awkward conversation, they finally get into bed, but Jack is unable to perform, causing her to laugh uncontrollably.

She finds employment as a typist in a large corporation, where she meets and befriends Dayle Wigoda (Marcia Rodd), who arranges a double-date for them.

Returning to her apartment, she calls her parents, who are implied to be furious with her decision to move to Chicago; she apologizes to them profusely and breaks down in tears.

The film was shot in various locations around Chicago, including the Carson Pirie Scott department store, the Sherman House Hotel, the First National Bank Building, and O'Connell's Coffee Shop on Rush Street.

Baskin was unavailable on home video for many years until 2023, when a 4K remaster of the film prepared by Paramount was released on Blu-ray by Fun City Editions.

This brought the film renewed praise from some critics, with a writer for Under the Radar calling it "a stirring portrayal of spiraling depression.