Four young Marines spending their last night stateside in San Francisco before shipping out to Vietnam stage a dogfight: The Marine who finds the ugliest "date" and brings her to a party wins. Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix) is having no luck finding an appropriate chick -- until he meets Rose (Lili Taylor), a shy, ugly-duckling waitress who worships folk singers. But will Eddie confess to Rose the real reason he wants to "date" her?