Roxanne (Darryl Hannah) is a beautiful astronomer in search of a comet, and Chris is a hunky but inarticulate fire expert who has been hired to train C.D.'s team of well-meaning firemen. C.D. immediately falls in love with Roxanne but he is sure that she won't notice anything about him except his extremely prominent facial feature and is quick to hide his passionate desires. However, Roxanne has captured the fancy of another, Chris. When C.D. learns of Chris's crush, he uses his gift for poetry to help the inexperienced courtier capture her affections. Wooed by the beauty of the words, Roxanne falls for Chris, not realizing that C.D. was the one really doing the talking. Of course, when put to the test, Chris does not live up to Roxanne's expectations and she quickly learns the identity of her real poetic suitor. Steve Martin is at his agile and uproarious best in this superior version of a classic story that revels in the oddity of life and the power of true love.