Robin Williams stars as Russian circus musician Vladimir Ivanoff, who decides to defect to America whilst in Bloomingdales, New York. Despite having the KGB on his tail, Vladimir wins asylum and moves to Harlem to share the flat of black security guard Lionel (Cleavant Derricks). Despite finding life in America unfriendly and cold, he soon begins to love the country and the diverse group of people he meets, including Latin lover Lucia (Maria Conchita Alonso) and Cuban lawyer Orlando Ramirez (Alejandro Rey).