Lawrence is a rich kid with a bad accent and a large debt. After his father refuses to help him out, Lawrence escapes his angry debtors by jumping on a Peace Corp flight to Southeast Asia, where is assigned to build a bridge for the local villagers with American-As-Apple-Pie WSU Grad Tom Tuttle and the beautiful and down-to earth Beth Wexler. What they don't realize is that the bridge is coveted by the U.S. Army, a local Communist force, and a powerful drug lord. Together with the help of At Toon, the only English speaking native, they must fight off the three opposing forces and find out what is right for the villagers, as well as themselves.

Tom Hanks and 'Rita Wilson' met while filming this movie and married three years later. Rita Wilson originally met Tom Hanks in 1981 on the set of "Bosom Buddies" (1980) when she guest-starred as Peter Scolari's Satan-worshiping girlfriend. But their relationship wasn't kindled until they were reunited on the set of this movie

At Toon:
Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I haven't had a woman yet!

Anachronisms: On there flight to Lung Taho there using a Bell 212 (a twin turbine version of the military Bell 202/Huey 1a). Bell did not start manufacturing the Bell 212 (known in Military service as the Huey 1d) until 1967. The first models where not shipped till 1968. The movie is set in 1962.