Bavarian tourist Jasmin (Marianne Sägebrecht) fights with her husband in the Mojave Desert and storms off to a nearby café-motel, where she develops a prickly friendship with the owner, Brenda (CCH Pounder). In time, they turn the decrepit cafe into a local hot spot, and Jasmin becomes a popular entertainer. The characters who collect at the café, including Hollywood-set painter Rudi (Jack Palance), form an odd sort of family in this quirky film.