Corporate raider Lawrence Garfield, a.k.a. "Larry the Liquidator" (Danny DeVito), always looking for the next big score, puts his sights on New England Wire and Cable, a publicly traded company that is run by old codger Andrew "Jorgy" Jorgenson (Gregory Peck) and is a major employer in a small town. Trying to stave off the takeover, Jorgy hires Kate (Penelope Ann Miller), his stepdaughter, to stall Larry. Before long, Larry becomes involved in a complicated game of cat-and-mouse in which he and Kate each struggle to maintain the upper hand. As he closes in on his goal—taking over New England Wire and Cable, which he intends to sell off in parts and shut down operation - Larry has to decide which he lusts after more: money or Kate.