The film kicks off with a striking view of a pink trailer nestled amidst a rural wooded area. A voiceover from the character Mr. J (John Waters) reveals the curious situation of Divine (Divine), who has garnered notorious fame through her criminal escapades. Dubbed the "Filthiest Person Alive" by tabloids, Divine adopts the disguise of Babs Johnson and seeks refuge in this secluded trailer near Baltimore. Here, she shares her space with her son Crackers (Danny Mills) and a woman named Cotton (Mary Vivian Pearce), characterized as Divine's traveling companion. Additionally, lurking in the trailer is Edie (Edith Massey), Divine's senile and rotund mother, who has her peculiar obsession with eggs.
As the trailer's life unfolds, Edie awakens and calls for Babs while wearing only her undergarments in the living room playpen. Edie's incessant demands for eggs prompt Babs to reassure her that they have plenty for her to cook. This chaotic household dynamic sets the stage for a bizarre yet compelling narrative.
Mr. J elaborates on the Marbles—Connie (Mink Stole) and Raymond Marble (David Lochary)—whom he labels as "two jealous perverts," consumed with envy over Divine's publicity. As Connie conducts a peculiar job interview in her home, her disdainful demeanor is revealed when she dismisses a potential employee based on her ignorance about Divine.
The plot oscillates between Divine's unconventional family life and the Marbles' schemes as they plot to delve into Divine's existence. Embarking on errands, Divine and Crackers take to the streets in their Coup De Ville, where they relish a moment of mischief by running a jogger off the road and teasing a soldier. Their antics highlight the film's dark humor.
Connie’s sinister plans unfold as she meets with a lesbian couple looking to adopt a baby, revealing a disturbing truth: she’s involved in a baby ring, supervising young women—one of whom is alive and condemned to rage after undergoing an unspeakable ordeal. The struggles of the women in captivity contrast sharply with the chaotic yet deceptive normalcy Divine's family attempts to maintain.
The narrative escalates with Divine shoplifting a steak, embracing the absurdity of her existence as she boldly walks through various neighborhoods, inadvertently turning heads and causing screams of horror and laughter alike with her antics. Amidst the absurdity, we meet Raymond, with his shocking blue hair, who finds pleasure in indecency by leaping from the shadows to unveil his grotesque prank, only to snatch the purses of frightened victims.
As Cookie (Cookie Mueller) becomes entrenched within the Marbles' machinations, the plotting intensifies, brewing a dark concoction of revenge and scandalous behavior. Amidst raucous parties filled with egregious acts, it becomes evident that the competition between Divine and the Marbles for the title of filthiness is only getting murkier.
Divine’s birthday arrives with an extravagant celebration, a wretched affair met with joy and depravity, culminating in a shocking turn of events as she receives a grotesque gift that shatters her facade. Following this, the film dives deeper into chaos with kidnappings, secret pregnancies, and unhinged violence leading us to a mock trial and a swift execution, a theatrical conclusion wrapped in darkness.
As Divine exacts her revenge, the chaotic, outlandish storyline stretches to its climax, revealing deeper themes of identity, fame, and survival in a world laced with filled moral decay. The film closes with Divine contemplating her next move, leaving viewers baffled yet intrigued at the absurdity they just witnessed, concluding with a bizarre, symbolic act that cements Divine’s character in the realm of cinematic insanity.
