In a gift shop of a Las Cruces, New Mexico hotel, two insomniac writers, Julia Mann Geena Davis and Kevin Vallick [Michael Keaton], clash over the last box of sleep medicine, a small moment that gently reveals a much bigger collision brewing beneath the surface of their lives.
Unbeknownst to them at first, both are speechwriters for rival candidates in a New Mexico Senate race. Julia backs the Democratic candidate Lloyd Wannamaker [Mitchell Ryan], while Kevin serves the Republican Ray Garvin [Ray Baker]. Their professional worlds quietly intertwine as they begin to influence each other’s messaging without realizing whose side the other is on, setting up a delicate tension between romance and politics.
Their paths cross again at a school event where they are both invited to speak. The discovery of each other’s identities sparks a heated public clash on stage, and the couple’s onstage chemistry bleeds into their campaign speeches, sowing confusion among supporters and staff alike. The line between love and loyalty grows increasingly blurred as their flirtation becomes a full-blown, covert tug-of-war.
Personal complications pile up: Kevin’s cutthroat ex-wife Annette [Bonnie Bedelia] has a hand in steering Kevin’s career, while Julia’s estranged fiancé, television war correspondent Bob 'Bagdad' Freed [Christopher Reeve], reappears, eager to win her back. The combination of political intrigue and romantic entanglement intensifies the stakes for both of them.
A pivotal turn comes when Julia’s organizer accidentally lands in Kevin’s possession, enabling him to hack Wannamaker’s speech and make the campaign look foolish. A power meeting between the two teams is arranged at Kevin’s offices; he does not attend in person, but meets with Julia that night. She confides that she’s engaged again, and he warns that she’s risking her job. He counsels her on shaping her candidate’s image, even suggesting a dramatic public moment—rescues of a missing bear cub that has dominated the news—which helps boost Julia’s standing and earns her a promotion to press secretary.
At a televised debate, the emotional tension peaks: Julia ends her engagement, and Kevin admits that he is crazy for her. The pair slip away together for a night, abandoning the rigidity of their political roles for a moment of private certainty. The following morning, Annette returns with a new demand—to draft a campaign ad—while Julia, faced with the pressure of the moment, crafts a sitcom-style ad when Kevin cannot wake up to help.
A cascade of revelations follows: a staff member eventually reveals that both campaigns have taken bribes, orchestrated by a figure named Proctor, who has leaned toward Wannamaker. The truth stings, yet the couple’s bond remains, and Kevin interrupts Wannamaker’s victory speech to declare his love for Julia, choosing personal truth over political calculation.
The film closes with a news report by Bob 'Bagdad' Freed [Christopher Reeve], detailing Julia’s late entry into a senatorial race, with Kevin stepping into the role of her campaign manager, signaling a fragile but hopeful partnership where love and politics continue to influence each other in unexpected ways.
