Vivian's family are penniless nomads, moving from one cheap flat to another in Beverly Hills so she and her brothers can attend the city's schools. Uncle Mickey sends them money to survive. When Mickey's daughter Rita runs away from an asylum, Vivian's dad offers shelter to her if Mickey will pay for a plush flat. Vivian must babysit her adult cousin, making sure she gets to nursing school and avoids pills and booze. But Vivian has her own problems: she's curious about sex, likes an older neighbor kid, has inherited her mother's ample breasts, and wants a family that doesn't embarrass her. Can she help Rita, keep Uncle Mickey happy, and feel OK about her body and her family?

Natasha Lyonne has to play a woman uncomfortable with the attention she gets from growing large natural breasts. Lyonne was given fake prosthetic breasts made out of silicone to play this part. At first, she was excited to play the part while wearing them. Then, director Tamara Jenkins told her to walk around for a day while wearing them. Lyonne came back and told Jenkins, "I get it now."

Vivian:
You dropped out of high school?


Eliot:
It was an option. I wanted to join the workforce.


Vivian:
What do you do?


Eliot:
I sell pot.

Anachronisms: At the airport, a Boeing 737 flies overhead. Although the logo isn't visible, the colors are unmistakably those of Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines did not serve Los Angeles until the 1980s.