In this comedy thriller, a couple living in Cactus Gulch, dream of escaping the desert and moving to Hawaii. Their little house trailer has become a monument to Hawaii, filled with plastic palms and pink flamingos. The two, Buzzard Wall and his tacky wife Betty, believe that Buzz's new invention, a fail-safe sunscreen lotion, is going to get them to the tropics, but then their application for a government product-funding grant is rejected and their dreams are dashed. The impoverished duo encounter further trouble when Buzzard's murderous half-brother breaks out of prison, pays them a call, and ends up taking Betty hostage. Buzz then teams up with a seductive reporter, who has the hots for him, and together they take off across the desert to find his beloved Betty.