Avanti!

Wendell Jr. travels to Ischia to retrieve his father's remains after the fatal car accident. He intends to stage a formal memorial back home within three days, a display befitting his status. The trip begins amid the resort setting of the Grand Hotel Excelsior.

On the journey to Ischia, Wendell meets Pamela Piggott, a London traveler who also came to Ischia to claim her mother's body. They quickly learn their families' fates are intertwined through the same car accident. The meeting sets up an uneasy alliance that will become central to the story.

Wendell discovers that his father Willie carried on an affair with Pamela's mother Kate for the last decade. The revelation complicates his sense of duty and the legitimacy of a dramatic memorial. Pamela's mother is revealed to have shared a long secret with Willie.

Pamela suggests burying Willie and Kate together on Ischia to honor a shared history. Wendell balks at the idea, insisting on a home funeral and a televised ceremony back in Baltimore. The disagreement deepens their frictions as they navigate the arrangements.

Carlo Carlucci, the hotel manager, tries to arrange the funeral and transport of the remains, but Italian traditions and bureaucracy slow every step. Wendell grows frustrated with the delays and the perceived inefficiency. The friction fuels his rude outbursts toward staff and Pamela.

The bodies mysteriously disappear from the morgue, throwing the plan into chaos. Wendell initially suspects Pamela, but suspicion shifts as clues point to external theft. The disappearance raises the stakes of the arrangements.

The Trotta family, tied to the car accident's vineyard damage, reveals they stole the remains and demand two million lire in ransom. The incident introduces a dangerous new layer to the crisis and exposes a harsher side of Italian tradition. The crisis deepens the sense that money and power control the fates of the dead.

Bruno, the hotel valet, attempts to blackmail the couple with compromising photos of Willie and Kate, and even aims to profit by returning to the US with money. Pamela and Wendell must contend with this new threat while keeping their plans afloat. The photos add a second thread of danger to the unfolding drama.

As staff stage annual rituals that echo the deceased couple, Pamela's kindness softens Wendell's arrogance. They grow closer and begin to trust each other despite the chaos. The rekindled warmth transforms their dynamic from adversaries to partners in navigating the strange circumstances.

Bruno is shot by Anna, a pregnant chambermaid, after discovering his plan to blackmail and escape with money. The act removes a dangerous foil but underscores the volatility of the situation. Anna's intervention complicates the criminal web surrounding the bodies.

Wendell's wife uses her connections to bring in State Department Agent J.J. Blodgett, who becomes protective of the couple. His involvement shifts control of the crisis and adds a political edge to the arrangements. The bureaucratic state enters the private drama.

Growing sympathy for the clandestine couple's commitment leads Wendell to agree to bury Willie and Kate together in the Carlucci family vault. The arrangement respects the long-running ruse and their intertwined histories. The couple moves toward a resolution that defies the original plan.

To fulfill Bruno's wish of returning to the US, his remains are placed in a coffin marked as Wendell Sr.'s and boarded for dispatch. Blodgett later uses this to promote an embassy post for Willie’s titular remains, a cynical twist of fate. The coffin travels to the United States in a diplomatic pouch, never to be opened.

Carlucci promises the couple's suite will be reserved next year, maintaining the island's annual tradition. Pamela jokes about losing weight, and Wendell grins that a single pound would end their liaison, signaling a playful end to their tension. The relationship survives the ordeal and looks toward a future.

With the crisis resolved in a bittersweet way, Wendell and Blodgett head to Rome airport aboard a US Navy helicopter. The Ischia odyssey ends as they prepare to carry the matter back to the US and beyond. The final image hints at a formal ceremony and a new chapter for the players.