In the small town of Verplanck, N.Y., the most hated woman around, Mona Dearly (BETTE MIDLER), has just perished after her car flew through a guardrail and ended up sinking in a river. Although no one particularly liked Mona - including her seemingly timid husband, Phil (WILLIAM FICHTNER), and one-handed loser of a son, Jeff (MARCUS THOMAS), local police chief Wyatt Rash (DANNY DEVITO) figures he should investigate the accident.
When Lucinda (KATHLEEN WILHOITE), the local mechanic, tells Rash that the accident was no accident, the chief begins questioning everyone about their whereabouts around the time of the incident as well as their feelings toward the deceased. Beyond Phil and Jeff -- who don't appear too upset about Mona's demise -- Rash talks to Bobby Calzone (CASEY AFFLECK) a not particularly bright fellow who runs a small landscaping business with Jeff and never particularly liked him or his mother.
While Bobby obviously had reason to kill Mona, Rash's view of him is tainted since he's also engaged to the chief's daughter, Ellen (NEVE CAMPBELL), who didn't like the Dearly family for messing with her fiancé's livelihood.
Then there's Rona Mace (JAMIE LEE CURTIS), a white trash waitress at the local diner who was carrying on affair with both Phil and Jeff. Added to the mix is Clarence (TRACEY WALTER), an old man who reportedly saw the accident and then more, Murph (MARK PELLEGRINO), Bobby's bartender brother, and Cubby (WILL FARRELL), the local funeral home director. As Rash tries to solve the case with the help of his subordinates, including Feege (PETER DOBSON) and Tony Carlucci (PAUL BEN-VICTOR), he must choose from the many suspects, all of whom had motive to get rid of the woman.