Two brothers, Wilder (Arliss Howard) and Wallace Foudroyant (Dennis Quaid), are driven apart by a great secret: their shared mysterious ability to start fires. Wilder settles down into a normal life with his wife, Vida (Debra Winger), but things cannot stay ordinary forever. His wayward circus-clown brother soon crashes into town with plans for fame and trouble. Reunited in the most unfortunate of ways, the brothers must now face off against each another.