The mob is tough... but it's nothing like show business.

Loanshark Chili Palmer (Travolta) has done his time as a gangster. So when "business" takes him to Los Angeles to collect a debt from down-and-out filmmaker Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), Chili talks tough and then pitches Harry a script idea. Immediately, Chili is swept into the Hollywood scene: he schmoozes film star Martin Weir (DeVito), romances "B" movie queen Karen Flores (Rene Russo) and even gets reservations at the hottest restaurants in town. In fact, all would be smooth for this cool new producer, if it weren't for the drug smugglers and an angry mobster who won't leave him alone. But hey, this is Hollywood and no one said it would be easy!