In Chicago, Illinois, Marshall Seymour, a vice president of the Vigar and Avery department store, arrives at his office and prepares for his upcoming business trip to Thailand to purchase items to sell for his themed promotion, “South China Sea.” Later, he rushes to see his eleven-year-old son, Charlie, play drums in his junior high school concert, but Marshall arrives too late, and promises that he will spend more time with Charlie after his trip. In Thailand, Marshall arrives with his girl friend, Sam, a fashion buyer for Vigar and Avery. As they shop for items, Turk, an art smuggler from New York City, purchases a gold and silver inlaid skull, recently stolen from a Buddhist monastery. As Marshall arranges for a large quantity of ceramic ginger jars to be shipped to Chicago, Turk smuggles the skull among the jars. Later, Turk follows Marshall and learns that he is from Chicago. After returning to Chicago, Marshall and Sam present their purchases to Stratford Avery, president of Vigar and Avery. As Marshall opens a crate, he finds the skull. Meanwhile, Turk travels to New York and informs his accomplice, Tina, that Marshall has the skull. Telephoning Marshall, Tina introduces herself as “Lillian Brookmeyer,” offers that she accidentally received his jar instead of her skull relic. Tina intends to come to Chicago on business, and Marshall suggest she come to his office on Monday. Later, Marshall picks up Charlie to stay with him for the week as his ex-wife, Robyn, and Charlie’s stepfather, Cliff, vacation in the Caribbean. Over the weekend, Charlie asks if Marshall will take him to see his favorite rock band, Malice. However, Marshall says no. On Monday morning, Marshall tells Charlie to get ready for school. While holding the skull, Charlie wishes he could be Marshall, and never have to deal with teachers, tests, and bullies. Touching the skull, Marshall wishes he could be a kid again. Suddenly, Charlie’s body grows to look like Marshall, while Marshall’s body shrinks to look like Charlie. Afterward, Marshall, looking like Charlie, realizes the skull must have accomplished the switch. Charlie is excited. Placing the skull out of Marshall’s reach, Charlie tell him he will need to go to school in his place. Reluctantly, Marshall goes, but orders Charlie to stay home. Ignoring his father, Charlie goes to Marshall’s office at the department store. Sam stops by and tells Charlie they need to talk about their relationship on their next date. Later, Tina arrives to trade the ginger jar for the skull, but Charlie does not have the skull, and believing Charlie wants to sell it himself, Tina leaves to plot ways to steal the skull. Meanwhile at Charlie’s school, Dale, an upperclassman, and his two friends bully Marshall. Afterward, Dooley, Charlie’s friend, tells Marshall he got the two Malice concert tickets he requested last week. At the department store, Charlie goes to the music department as a young man plays an electric guitar. Seeing a drum kit, Charlie starts to play. Meanwhile, Marshall telephones for a limousine to take him to Vigar and Avery. Arriving at the store, Marshall goes looking for Charlie. However, he overhears Avery telling store executives that Charlie is playing the drums on the sales floor. Following Avery, Marshall fears his son’s actions are going to get him fired. Before Avery yells at Charlie, Sylvia, a rich customer, arrives to check on her son, the guitar player. Thanking Charlie for performing with him, Sylvia’s son purchases the guitar and Avery praises Charlie for his unconventional salesmanship. The next day, Marshall returns to school, and Charlie goes to Marshall’s job. As Charlie wanders through the store, Turk follows him. In the evening, Marshall remembers he has a date with Sam and plans to cancel. However, Charlie tells his father that Sam may be thinking about breaking up. When Sam arrives, Charlie suggests they go to the Malice concert. During the show, Sam likes seeing Charlie having fun. Returning to the apartment, Marshall sees Sam kissing Charlie, and announces that he feels sick. While his son is out of the room, Marshall, as Charlie, tells Sam that his father really loves her. She thanks him and says good night to father and son. In the morning, Marshall and Charlie take the skull to the museum for a meeting with Professor Kerschner. Looking at the skull, Kerschner states that Tibetan Buddhist lamas believe the skull can house spirits inside. Fascinated, Kerschner asks if he could show the skull to his guru friend, a former lama. Though Charlie is hesitant, Marshall agrees. Later, Charlie makes Marshall a martini to help him relax. Suddenly, Robyn, Marshall’s ex-wife, arrives after cutting short her vacation. Unaware of their transformation, when Robyn sees Marshall drinking, she yells at Charlie. In the morning, Avery leaves a telephone message for Marshall, informing him to be at a 10:00 am meeting at the store. Charlie heads to school and tells Marshall about the meeting. As they leave for the department store, Tina and Turk follow them. At the store, Charlie and Marshall go to the electronics department and purchase a microphone and earpiece, enabling Marshall to instruct Charlie on what to say during the meeting. However, Turk and Tina find Marshall hiding in a storage room, and, believing he is Charlie, kidnap him and take him to a motel. Without Marshall’s input, Charlie speaks from his heart, telling Avery that he works hard for the store, sometimes having no time for his son. Leaving the meeting, Charlie is unable to find Marshall. Later, Tina telephones Charlie and tells him they will exchange the skull for Marshall. As Tina is on the telephone, Marshall tells Turk that the skull magically switched him and Charlie, but Turk does not believe him. To prove his story, Marshall says he remembers Turk taking a photograph of him and Sam in Thailand. Charlie goes to the museum for the skull, but Professor Kerschner tells him the guru has it now. Charlie retrieves the skull, and learns how to reverse the metamorphosis. Meanwhile, Tina and Turk ride on the elevated train to meet Charlie. Turk tells Tina about Marshall’s story, but she only cares about selling the skull and becoming rich. Charlie waits at the train platform. As the train pulls in, Charlie hands Turk the skull, and Tina pushes Marshall out of the car. As the train pulls away, Marshall says they are catching another train to New York. Stealing a police motorcycle, Marshall and Charlie drive to the train station as police officers pursue them. Arriving at the station, Charlie and Marshall jump onto the New York-bound train and look for the art thieves. Meanwhile, Turk and Tina argue. As Tina holds the skull, she tells Turk she wishes she could travel around the world like him. Turk wishes he could stay in New York, and touches the skull. Suddenly, the skull causes them to switch bodies. Finding Tina and Turk, Charlie and Marshall take back the skull. However, the police stop the train and arrest Charlie for stealing the motorcycle. At the police station Charlie’s stepfather, Cliff, arrives. Paying Charlie’s bail, he promises not to tell Robyn. As Marshall goes home with Cliff, Charlie goes to Marshall’s apartment. Later, Sam arrives and tells Charlie that Avery is going ahead with Marshall’s theme promotion. Happy for his father, Charlie gets the skull and asks Sam to drive him to see Charlie. On the way, Charlie asks Sam to marry him, and Sam says yes. At his house, Charlie climbs up the wall to his bedroom window. Inside, Marshall and Charlie place their hands on the skull, and revert to their original bodies. Afterward, Marshall promises to spend more time with Charlie in the future as they hug. Taking the skull, Marshall returns to Sam’s car. Inside, Sam asks if Charlie is happy about their engagement. Smiling, Marshall says that both he and Charlie are happy.