In Beverly Hills, California, Dr. George Maitlin, Charles Grodin, a respected psychiatrist and radio host, has a nervous breakdown after an affair with a patient. He heads off on a sabbatical to London to recover, quietly arranging for his lawyer, Harvey Michaels, Richard Romanus, to temporarily step in so no one will outshine him while he’s away.
Meanwhile, at a state correctional mental facility in Chicago, John Burns, Dan Aykroyd, a troubled patient with a knack for pushing boundaries, upends chief doctor Lawrence Baird, David Clennon, by calmly talking down a suicidal jumper after Baird’s own attempt fails. Frustrated with John’s stubborn antics, Lawrence schemes to transfer him to Joliet Prison, convinced John is faking insanity to dodge a four‑year sentence. Seizing an opportunity, John intercepts a call from Harvey, impersonates Lawrence to accept the transfer, and escapes, slipping through a waiting plane ticket to Beverly Hills.
At the airport, John is met by Dr. Laura Rollins, Donna Dixon, with whom he’s instantly drawn, and he also runs into Donald Becker, Walter Matthau, a kleptomaniac former priest who quickly spots the tells of John’s prison pants. Seizing the moment, John bluffingly lands a job with a $200,000 upfront salary, which he expects Harvey to deliver in a couple of days. He then buys a plane ticket, intending to vanish into Mexico City.
On his first day behind the mic, John shakes up the #1 call-in slot with blunt, profane, and sometimes vulgar advice to listeners. His fearless honesty wins over a huge audience, and the staff watch in astonishment as the numbers soar, prompting Harvey to urge him to remain the permanent host in place of George. Later, Donald telephones the show from a nearby mental hospital, threatening to expose John as an escaped prisoner unless he can join in the scheme.
The next day, John is greeted by hundreds of prospective patients at George’s practice, lured by his on-air offer of free therapy. Unable to see them all one by one, he takes the group to a baseball game, where he listens to their troubles and offers unorthodox, genuinely caring counsel. Laura is impressed by his empathy, even as she senses the complexity of his ruse. Donald opens up about his own past: he once fell for a woman who talked him into burning down a church for insurance money, only to be betrayed and left with the loss.
Meanwhile, George and Lawrence cross paths at a conference in London. A miscommunication about the money sent to the impostor Lawrence triggers Vera Maitlin’s confession of an affair with Harvey. Furious, George and Lawrence fly back to Beverly Hills to confront the unraveling situation.
Donald discovers John’s plane ticket and, feeling betrayed, storms off in a rage. John feels guilty and searches for him but comes up empty. He confronts Laura, who reveals that Lawrence had contacted her and disclosed the truth, leaving her heartbroken by John’s deception. Undeterred, John attends a dinner honoring George and eventually receives the promised $200,000 from Harvey. Lawrence arrives amid the chaos, but the staff mistake him for an impostor and restrain him as his erratic behavior escalates.
Meanwhile, a manic George exerts pressure on Harvey to recover his money, pushing events toward a tense climax. At the airport, John sees Donald on TV atop the Hollywood Sign, shouting his name and threatening to jump. John secures the cash in a locker, races to the sign, and scales perilously to reach Donald. The two men reconcile, and John hands over the locker key, urging Donald to embrace a new life away from the con. On solid ground, John is arrested and labeled a fugitive by authorities, while George’s anger turns violent as he tries to shoot Harvey, only to be arrested himself and lose his standing.
Sometime later, Vera Maitlin and Lawrence find themselves in mental facilities with no one convinced of Lawrence’s true identity. As John is transported toward potential prison, Donald comes to his rescue, aided by a disguised Laura. She says farewell to the duo as John chooses to go on the run with Donald, who has secretly stolen the key to Harvey’s yacht, signaling a new, uncertain chapter for them both.
This tale unfolds with a mix of sharp wit and high-stakes chaos, exploring how ambition, deception, and healing collide in a city where fame and fortune ride the same tide. The film tracks a man who seeks escape through reinvention, a doctor desperate to protect his image, and a web of relationships that blur ethical lines, ultimately leaving each character at a crossroads between truth and reinvention.
