Hollywood screenwriter Cora Sharpe has what one of the endless intimates she thinks of as her "Committee" calls "a big, loud life." Her confidant and writing partner, Bud, has been on a manic-depressive roller coaster. Her dear friend William, AIDS-ridden, has finally taken leave of his live. And in the vacuum that follows his departure, Cora's romance with quiet gentle Ray has flickered and expired.

Then Cora finds out she's pregnant, and even the Committee can't steer her through this one. Enter Cora's mother, Viv, with her "delusions of grandma" and a madcap scheme to kidnap Cora's grandpa from his nursing home. All she needs is a little help from Cora and Bud, who are only too happy to take their troubled act on the road...