High school student Lane Meyer sinks into suicidal depression when his girlfriend dumps him for jock Roy Stalin, the high school ski racing champion. Meanwhile, he has to deal with his eccentric family, a tenacious paperboy and an obnoxious neighbor whose mother is hosting a beautiful French exchange student named Monique.

A California professor (Martin Sheen), his wife (Blythe Danner) and his daughters make room for his orphaned illegitimate French son (Sebastian Dungan).