Francis Ashby (Michael Palin) is a Victorian-era Oxford instructor who takes a trip to Switzerland, where he befriends vacationing American Caroline Hartley (Connie Booth) and her teenage daughter, Elinor (Trini Alvarado). Both women are romantically interested in Francis, and when he returns to campus, the Hartleys follow him back and move into a nearby home to pursue him. Unfortunately, university professors are forbidden to marry, and Francis must choose between love and his career.
The plot was apparently based on a real-life incident involving Palin's great-grandfather, Edward Palin. The movie won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best film/screenplay.
