Dr. Ben Stone works his last shift in the chaotic emergency room at Washington Presbyterian Hospital, looking forward to the straightforward surgeries and generous compensation that await at a cosmetic surgery clinic in Beverly Hills, California, where he has an interview. The next morning, he leaves Washington, D.C. in his vintage Porsche Speedster. When he encounters road construction, he drives on the shoulder toward an exit, laughing as he passes stopped traffic. However, the maneuver leads him into rural South Carolina. Coming around a bend, Ben veers to avoid two cows, plowing into the underbrush and into a white picket fence. He volunteers to write a check to repair the fence, but the owner, Judge Evans, rejects the offer, sentencing Ben to thirty-two hours of community service at Grady Memorial Hospital. When Ben worries about making it to Los Angeles in time for his interview, the town mechanic assures him he will fix the sports car. Ben takes a taxi to the hospital, where the stern Nurse Packer shows him to an operating room, indicating he can sleep there. A short while later, Ben is awakened by Nick Nicholson, the mayor of Grady, who insists on finding him better accommodations. At a cabin in the woods, three elderly women welcome Ben with food and moonshine. Sitting by the fire, they gossip with the newcomer until he falls asleep. In the morning, Ben stumbles outside to the pond at the edge of the property, stunned when a naked woman emerges from the water and walks brazenly past him. Later, Ben asks Mayor Nicholson to pardon him, but the mayor laughs and announces his intention to convince Ben to remain in Grady. At the hospital, Ben is surprised to see the woman from the pond. He flirts with her, but she dismisses his advances by informing him that she is “Lou,” the hospital ambulance driver. Ben notices the waiting room overflowing with patients, and dutifully sets to work. The complaints are minor, and Ben sails through the day dealing with one colorful local resident after another. At the end of his shift, a couple rush in with their young son, Zeb, who is wheezing and turning blue. Ben determines that the boy has a heart condition, and asks Nurse Packer to call a medical helicopter. The nurse instead calls Dr. Hogue, who suggests Ben give Zeb a soda. Outraged, Ben grabs the phone and yells at the physician. In anticipation of the helicopter’s arrival, they take the boy outside. Dr. Hogue drives up and admonishes Ben for scaring the parents, before opening a can of soda for Zeb to drink. The cantankerous old doctor explains to Ben that the boy ate his father’s chewing tobacco. When Zeb complained of indigestion, his parents administered a homemade antacid. However, all that was necessary to calm his stomach was a soda. After the incident, Ben walks over to the auto repair shop to check on his car. He screams at the sight of the dismantled engine, but Melvin, the mechanic, tells him not to worry. The next morning, Ben stops at the diner, where he is accosted by Nancy Lee, a young woman with aspirations to leave Grady. He excuses himself and sits with Lou, who is studying for her law school entrance exam. Their banter is cut short by the arrival of Lou’s gum-chewing suitor, Hank Gordon. Later, at the hospital, a patient returns with a pig, offering it as compensation for the doctor’s services. Ben walks the pig through town, running into Mayor Nicholson, who invites him to a dinner party. Ben stops by Lou’s house and asks her to be his date. Just then, a young girl runs up, and Lou introduces her four-year-old daughter, Emma, before accepting Ben’s invitation. After dinner at the mayor’s house, Lou turns down an amorous Ben, and he returns to his cabin, disappointed. The next day, Lou drives Ben into the backcountry to make house calls. Inspired, he muses about starting an outpatient program at the clinic in Beverly Hills. Lou mocks his affection for city life, but Ben reveals he grew up in a small town in Indiana. Having accomplished his dream of leaving, he has no desire to return. Just then, they learn that Dr. Hogue is having a heart attack. They return to the hospital, and Ben saves Dr. Hogue’s life. The next day, the town of Grady celebrates its annual squash festival. Ben learns that his car is repaired, but out of concern for Dr. Hogue, he calls the Beverly Hills clinic and tells them he cannot be there in time for his interview. However, at the carnival that night, Judge Evans informs Ben that he need not complete the rest of his community service. Under a shower of fireworks, Ben and Lou kiss. She suggests they spend the night together, but he is confused about his feelings. He returns home, surprised to see Hank Gordon sitting by the fire. The two men philosophize about life, and Ben decides to leave Grady that night. However, on his way out of town, he is flagged down by a local resident whose wife is about to give birth. As the baby is born in the back of a station wagon, a big-rig truck smashes into Ben’s car, which he left parked in the middle of the road. Ben joins the baby in crying. The next day, Lou presents Ben with a plane ticket to Los Angeles, a gift from all the residents of Grady, who send him off with warm wishes. At the cosmetic surgery clinic in Beverly Hills, Dr. Halberstrom offers Ben a job, remarking on Dr. Hogue’s impressive letter of recommendation. In the days that follow, Ben assists Dr. Halberstrom in various routine surgeries. However, he cannot stop thinking about his recent experiences in the country. At the clinic one morning, the receptionist gives him a message, commenting on the woman’s Southern accent. Ben rushes to a restaurant to meet the unidentified caller, crestfallen to see Nancy Lee, who drove his car to Los Angeles. She surmises he was hoping to see Lou. A few days later, Ben returns to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he surprises Lou with a kiss. With his pig in tow, they walk down the street, teasing each other and laughing.