Vinnie Miller (Joanne Woodward) -- a spinsterish, no-nonsense college teacher from New England -- hopes to do plenty of reading on her transatlantic flight to Europe. But Vinnie spends the entire nine hours trying to evade the talkative Chuck Mumpson's (Brian Dennehy) nonstop chitchat. When they finally land in London, Vinnie goes her won way to begin an extended research project at Oxford Library and Chuck just goes away... or so she hopes.

But to Vinnie's disbelief -- and distress -- Chuck seems to show up wherever she goes. Their mutual acquaintance with Rosemary Radley (Stephanie Beacham) -- a volatile actress who plunges into a steamy affair with Vinnie's young colleague, Fred Turner (Eric Stoltz) -- leads to a series of chance meetings. Their well-meaning friends even attempt to be matchmakers -- but Chuck is the last person in the world Vinnie wants to get involved with. Traveling, however, can be full of romantic surprises.