Isabel Walker, a quintessential young Californian has newly arrived in Paris to visit her pregnant sister, Roxeanne. A darkly romantic poet, Roxy has just been jilted by her scoundrel husband, and it appears they are headed for" le divorce". Meanwhile, Isabel leaps into l′ amour with a married French diplomat who happens to be the uncle of Roxy′s soon-to-be-ex. As scandal ensues, the American idealism and irrepressible spirit of the Walker sisters comes up against the French sophistication and stubborn rationalism of the Persand family. Complicating the two families′ relations is a painting in Roxy′s possession that is discovered to be worth millions. Then, quite suddenly, a crime of passion disrupts all the scheming and culture clashes to open up new possibilities for understanding. A new twist on the American-in-Paris theme, this latest, impressively cast, book adaptation from the producer/director team of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, wittily illustrates the rich complexities of American and French cultures and their compellingly different attitudes toward morality ,sex, food, fashion, and life itself.