Plot

Two brothers with the secret power of starting fires with their minds, reunite after years apart, only to find conflict with their differing lifestyles.

Wilder and Wallace are brothers and pyrokinetics. Ever since childhood they've been able to start fires with their minds but following a tragedy in which they accidentally killed a man, the brothers have grown up very differently. Wilder has become a regular 9-5 workaday joe but Wallace performs his feats with a traveling circus. When the circus comes to Wilder's home town Wallace starts coming on strong to Wilder's wife, Vida who, ironically, is a slight pyromaniac.—Stefan Halldorsson <ms@vortex.is>

As a pyrokinetic, Wilder Foudroyant (Arliss Howard) possesses the ability to set fires with his mind, but desperately attempts to maintain a normal life in rural Virginia, where he operates a photographic processing stand in the middle of an abandoned shopping mall parking lot. His doting wife, Vida (Debra Winger), has three days until she is released from house arrest for arson. Restless with boredom, Vida sets fire to a patch of grass while Wilder is away at work, raising the suspicions of the local fire chief (M. Emmett Walsh). Wilder, who volunteers for the force part-time, knows the incident was intentional, but lets Vida off with a warning.

That afternoon, a traveling carnival comes to town and sets up camp in the parking lot where Wilder works. The company includes Wallace Foudroyant (Dennis Quaid), Wilder's estranged twin brother, who dresses as a clown and hopes to use his own pyrokinetic abilities to achieve fame on David Letterman's television talk show. Wilder holds a grudge against Wallace for burning off his hair during his bachelor party, and remains traumatized by a fatal fire they once caused as children. Wallace telephones Wilder to apologize for their differences, but nervously hangs up when Vida answers. The next morning, he works up the courage to stop by the trailer and remind Vida of their former romantic relationship.

Upon returning home, Wilder is disturbed by his brother's presence and quickly becomes possessive when he notices Wallace staring at Vida. Wallace reveals his intent to "go public" with their pyrokinetic abilities, but Wilder worries that people will consider him a "freak." On the last day of her sentence, police remove Vida's ankle monitor and she celebrates her newfound freedom by running to visit Wilder at work. Although she hopes to go out for a night on the town, Wilder refuses to break his commitment to call bingo at the local women's club that evening. Instead, Vida accepts Wallace's invitation to attend a symphony and play miniature golf. Over the course of their outing, Wallace becomes more forward, and his passion causes objects around them to melt. As they kiss, the golf course bursts into flames.

After putting out the blaze with the fire department, Wilder returns home to find Wallace and Vida embracing on the roof of their trailer. Unwilling to talk about it, he spends the rest of the night driving circles on his noisy tractor mower. In the morning, Vida screams for him to stop, but Wilder loses control of his emotions. Wallace goads him into using his powers to fight, and they incinerate the mobile home in the process.

In jail, Vida apologizes for coming between the two brothers and insists she and Wallace never made love. Wallace's co-worker Rex (Jim Varney) bails the three lovers out of prison, and Vida storms off, proclaiming that her husband will have to fight to win her back. Wilder spends the night on the floor of his photography kiosk, but awakens to the sound of Wallace blasting music from across the parking lot. After finding several apologetic notes from Vida, he marches outside to confront his brother. The two men engage in a climatic fiery brawl that sends the carnival up in flames. Wilder emerges from the inferno wearing a fireproof suit just as Vida arrives with a team of firemen. Although Wilder walks away from the fight, Wallace refuses to give up until Vida sprays them both the with a fire hose. She kisses Wilder, who then embraces Wallace. Together, they walk hand-in-hand to be handcuffed by a police deputy.

Sometime later, Wilder is placed under house arrest and begins a lawnmower repair service in his new home, with Vida by his side. Meanwhile, Wallace assumes the identity of "Doctor Napalm" and spends the remainder of his probation teaching children about the importance of fire safety, eventually appearing on the David Letterman show to promote his work.