Kris Kristofferson stars as Hawk, an ex-cop released from jail after a murder sentence who returns to fictional Rain City (actually Seattle) and the diner of his old flame, Wanda (Geneviève Bujold). Also seeking refuge at Wanda's is country boy Coop (Keith Carradine); his beautiful, naive wife, Georgia (Lori Singer); and their baby. The good-hearted Wanda lets the struggling family in, but Coop quickly turns bad, joining up with an aspiring jewel thief (Joe Morton). Hawk falls for Georgia, and all sorts of trouble comes to mind from there, including the presence of the legendary Divine (of John Waters fame) in a rare nondrag performance as high-strung villain Hilly Blue.

Director Alan Rudolph made this film after the success of 1984's CHOOSE ME, and he really lets his imagination flow, with great expressionistic use of the city of Seattle, miniatures, and a wondrously mournful set of songs by Marianne Faithfull. The result is somewhere between a film noir romance, a tone poem, and a whacked-out comedy. Its beguiling combination of mystery, beauty, wit, and compassion has earned the film a respected cult status.