Worn-down Peter Brackett (Nick Nolte) and ambitious Sabrina Peterson (Julia Roberts) are reporters working for rival newspapers. Assigned to cover a train derailment, the two journalists meet at the scene and immediately can't stand each other. But when they suspect a deadly government conspiracy behind the crash, the two rivals work together to break the story. While they expose corrupt scientists and butt heads every step of the way, Peter and Sabrina's competitive tiffs turn into romance.